Guardian Twin
by Cori Shadowfang
Summary: They may have beaten Ansem and Xemnas, but Sora, Riku, and Kairi can't handle everything. When they're captured, Sora is forced to set Roxas free again. But what happens when he and his two new companions are forced to face a past best left forgotten?
1. The Message

_Ok, so, this is my Kingdom Hearts fan fiction, Guardian Twin, taking place directly after Kingdom Hearts 2. Hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the Disney worlds used in this story._

Chapter 1: The Message

A figure walked slowly through the eternal night in which he lived. His silent steps brought him towards a crumbling stone castle that still clung to life in the otherwise barren landscape. The figure, still cloaked in shadows, gently put one hand on the wall. _Still standing, even after all the time that's past._

"Who goes there?" a voice boomed, breaking the silence.

The figure slowly removed his hand from the wall, turning to face the entryway to the castle. Only moment later, a person clad in white, blue, and gold emerged from the shadows. His hood was pulled up over his head, almost completely hiding his face. He edged the torch he was carrying towards the figure. The light finally revealed the figure's appearance. Like his counterpart, he wore the same white, blue, and gold uniform had adorning his body. Unlike the other, his hood was down, allowing the light to shine upon his face. His white hair had an unnatural, metallic sheen to it. The man with the torch sighed with relief. "Greetings, Zylen. I thought it was an intruder."

Zylen snorted, uninterested. "Let me through."

The man nodded. "Yes, of course, sir." He moved aside, allowing the white-haired man to push through.

Zylen walked through the dark halls of the ancient castle, eyes roaming over it as he stalked forward. "That was hardly a mission befitting for the leader of the Time Racers," a voice stated from the shadows.

Zylen closed his eyes briefly in frustration. "If you are going to speak, Domian, then come out from the shadows."

"Why? They're all we have left, aren't they?" the surly voice replied. Still, he stepped out of the shadows and into the dim, flickering light of the torches. His golden hair, like Zylen's white, seemed to almost be made of metal.

"Not if we can succeed," Zylen hissed. His eyes opened, narrowing slightly. "That is why I had to be the one to go on this mission. If this doesn't succeed, then neither do we."

"Of course, sir," Domian replied, his voice still sour.

Zylen decided to switch the subject to other matters. "Have you seen any more of _him_?"

Domian seemed to know exactly what he meant. "Not lately."

Zylen nodded with satisfaction. "Good. We'd best make sure it stays that way." He paused briefly, lost in his world of thought. "It would not be good if he were to meet them."

"I'll make sure he stays away," Domian replied.

"Good." He paused only briefly. "Dispatch Hilran. I believe it is high time our guests came to our humble abode."

~*~

"So…anyone know where Time Castle is?"

Sora, Riku, and Kairi sat on the beach, listening to the sound of the waves as they lapped upon the shore. The message with the king's emblem was still grasped in Sora's hand, who was looking it over for the third time. At his question, Riku pulled the paper from his grip and he, too, began scanning it for answers. After a few moments he shrugged, letting the piece of parchment fall to the sand. "Not a clue."

"It's so strange," Kairi commented. "The king sends us a cryptic note telling us to go to someplace called Time Castle."

"'There've been some strange activities there,'" Riku quoted. "'Meet me there to help investigate them. Don't worry about transportation; I'll send someone to get you.'"

"I don't see what you two are so worried about," Sora replied, folding his hands behind his head.

"But…we've never even heard of Time Castle before," Kairi commented quietly.

Sora shrugged. "We've been to a lot of worlds we've never heard of before. This is no different."

Silence reigned for a while for the three friends. Sora narrowed his eyes as he stared up into the star speckled sky. Amongst the stars, a shape moved, heading in the direction of their island. "Hey!" Sora cried, pointing a finger towards the sky. "I think our ride's here." The trio jumped to their feet, brushing sand off of them as the shape – a Gumi Ship – neared. It soared over their heads, hovering above the sand a little ways away before it finally landed.

The person who stepped out of the ship caught them off guard. A woman garbed in white, blue, and gold walked towards them across the sand that was steadily cooling in the night air. A hood was pulled over her head, hiding most of her facial features from view. She stopped a few feet before them. "Greetings, Sora, Riku, and Kairi. I am Hilran, sent by the King to take you to Time Castle."

"Really?" Riku asked skeptically.

"Yes," Hilran replied. She cocked her head to one side. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just wish you wouldn't hide your face like Organization 13."

At Riku's words, Sora felt frustration pulse inside his heart. "Did you need to say that?"

Riku glanced towards him. "Don't let Roxas talk for you," he informed him. Sora blinked once, as usual forgetting that he shared his body and heart with the Nobody now.

"I don't mean to be impolite," Hilran interrupted, "but we really must get going. As for my hood, I have a scar that I don't really like people to see." Slowly, she moved the hood back until the three could see the vicious mark that stretched across her face. After a few moments she lowered the hood back down until it hid the wound once more. She gestured towards the Gumi ship. "Shall we?"

Sora shrugged, folding his hands behind his head once more. "Sure." Both he and Kairi started forward, only to stop a moment later when they realized Riku wasn't coming. Sora glanced back towards his stationary friend. "You rooted?"

Riku shook his head, seeming to emerge from the depths of his thoughts. "No." He began moving towards the Gumi ship, now, too. Sora and Kairi glanced at each other, wondering at his strange behavior. Then they followed him into the Gumi ship.

Inside, Hilran was beginning the startup sequence for the ship. "Everyone take your seats, please." The three immedietly fell into chairs, pulling their seatbelts across them as they did. The engines roared to life, and suddenly the ship was flying through the air. Sora gripped the arms of his seat as the Gumi ship struggled through the air.

After a few moments, the Gumi ship settled down and resumed a more natural pace. Glancing out the window, Sora saw the flickering of stars amongst the infinite space they traveled through. He released his death grip on the seat. "I don't remember riding in the Gumi ship ever being _that _bad."

Hilran turned her head to look back at him, an apologetic smile crossing her face from beneath the shadows of her hood. "I'm sorry, but our Gumi ship isn't it very good condition right now."

"Really? Who's been taking care of it?"

Hilran hesitated, seeming unsure on how to answer his question. Finally, she stammered out, "Oh, me and some friends. It's been our personal task, since we're so new to Disney Castle."

"Why-"

"Feel free to talk to the others while we travel," she interrupted abruptly. Sora cocked an eyebrow at the woman's odd behavior. While the note had not held any suspicion, this woman certainly did.

His friends seemed to share his opinions. Kairi glanced his way, a nervous expression plastered on her face. Riku's glare was a bit darker, obviously trying to say, 'Something's wrong.' Sora nodded, not daring to say anything aloud and not trusting the Gumi ship enough to try moving. Riku and Kairi both nodded back, signaling that they'd understood. Hilran glanced back their way at the movements, and they immedietly returned changed to more comfortable positions, choosing to talk about ridiculous things with each other instead of thinking about what could possibly await them at Time Castle.

~*~

"They'll be here soon," Zylen hissed, glancing up towards the twinkling stars above.

Several people dressed in white, gold, and blue stood in the shadows of the ancient tower, each seemingly anxious for what was to come. Domian stepped forward slowly, his sleeves rolled up to reveal strange and intricate tattoos weaving up his arms. "I'm ready for them."

Zylen glanced back his way. "Patience, Domian. That is the key to this task."

Unbeknownst to them, another had been listening to their conversation. _What are you up to? _his mind questioned as he watched the scene. Then his eyes widened in shock. _No…it couldn't be…could it? _Silent as a shadow, he slipped away from the tower. _If he's really trying to do what I think he's going to try, we're all screwed. _He glanced towards the sky. The pale sheen of the full moon fell down upon him, casting him in odd shadows and causing his dark grey hair to shine like metal. _Stay away, _he hissed with his mind, even though he knew there was no chance he could contact them. _Time Castle doesn't welcome key bearers._

_So, what do you think of the first chapter? Reviews are welcome, please!_


	2. Capture

_So, here's chapter two. Thank you Ledi, Kingdom hearts birth by sleep, and Inspiration of Imagination for reviewing chapter one…and for correcting my spelling of Gummi Ship._ Chapter Two: Capture

Sora squirmed in his seat, trying to gain a more comfortable position. He finally gave in to the impulse to ask the age-old question, "Are we there yet?"

"Soon," Hilran replied with a brief glance at him over her shoulder.

Sora exhaled slowly, reclining in his chair. A smile twitched onto his lips as he considered poking Riku or their strange pilot to see what reaction he'd get. Riku shot a glare back his way, guessing what he was thinking. "Don't even think about it."

Ok. That route of entertainment was out.

He glanced out the window, watching the endless sea of space stretch past as their Gummi ship labored forward. He tapped the arms of the seat with his fingers, slowly beating out a rhythm. It could have only been a few minutes, but boredom made it feel like an eternity.

"Prepare for landing!" Hilran called. Sora wasn't sure whether to feel relieved at finally arriving, or, as he remembered leaving Destiny Islands, afraid about trying to land on the world. The Gummi ship rocked as it began to enter the atmosphere of Time Castle. He gripped the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white as the Gummi ship plummeted towards the ground. Eventually, the Gummi ship slowed, until it was hovering a few feet above the ground. Just as he was beginning to relax, the ship fell onto the ground. The jolt would have caused him to fly out of his seat had it not been the seatbelt stretched across his torso.

When he was sure they weren't going to be moving again anytime soon, he let go of the seat. "Thank God," he breathed.

"Sorry," Hilran apologized as she rose from her seat.

"Uh, it's Ok," Kairi responded, though she seemed just as shaken as Sora and Riku.

Hilran exited the Gummi ship. Riku caught Sora and Kairi, however, before they could leave. "Do we really want to do this?"

"Do we have a choice?" Kairi asked him.

"Of course." Riku jerked his thumb in the direction of the Gummi ship's steering wheel.

"We might as well see what's going on," Sora responded, "even if it is a trap. Besides, I don't think I really want to chance this flying death trap."

Riku sighed. "Ok, then. But stick together." Sora and Kairi both nodded in assent. Together, the three exited the Gummi ship.

Hilran was waiting for them as they emerged. "Something wrong?" she questioned them.

"No," Sora replied, flinching inwardly. "We were just talking."

Hilran gave him a curious stare, seemingly now as suspicious of them as they were of her. She didn't comment on it, though; instead, she replied, "The King should be somewhere near." She turned away from them. "Follow me." Hesitantly, the trio followed their mysterious guide.

For a while, they walked through the darkness of night, with little to light their path. Then, from amidst the darkness, a small light flickered on the horizon. Sora narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better view of what was ahead. Unable to see far enough in the dim lighting, he asked, "What's up ahead?"

"Or destination," Hilran responded without turning around. Seeing that he wasn't going to get anymore of a response out of her, he instead continued to try to see what they were approaching.

Eventually, the looming shape came into view. An ancient castle rose before them, its crumbling ramparts lit up only by the moonlight and the dim light of the torches that lined the walls. Shadows crept around the massive fortress, easily able to hide various things from their view. The castle seemed to emanate an eerie glow, making Sora shiver despite himself. _So, this is Time Castle? _he thought, eyeing the dark walls nervously. _Creepy._

Hilran paused at the threshold to the stone structure. "The King should be just beyond these walls. Be prepared, for strange things lurk inside this castle."

"Like what?" Riku quizzed her.

"Like a strange man with gray metal-like hair," she replied grimly. "Proceed with caution. We would not want you to be harmed." Something in the way she said these words made Sora doubtful of that. Then again, he'd already been suspicious of her motives. As Hilran started forward, Sora hesitated. She glanced back when she realized her three followers were no longer following. "Aren't you coming?"

Sora glanced up towards the stone tower that spiked into the sky like a giant spear. Even though he knew what they were heading into couldn't possibly be good, he still replied, "Yeah, of course."

~*~

Zylen, upon seeing the descent of the Gummi ship, had headed into a room deep within the castle. The room seemed to glow with a dark light. In the center, something pulsed within a dark sphere. A small smirk crossed his face as he looked upon the item. "Finally, the key bearers have come."

"Sir, they're in the castle!" Domian called.

Zylen glanced back to the man standing in the doorway. "Watch them in case they get out of Hilran's control. And, whatever you do, do not let Hilran harm them. Do you understand?"

"Of course, sir," Domian replied, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Good." Zylen's white head turned back towards the item in the glowing sphere as Domian left the room. As he stared at it, the light dimmed slightly, revealing what was held captive within. "Soon," he whispered.

Inside, the dark Keyblade seemed to blaze in response.

~*~

"How long does it take to find the King?" Riku droned as the trio followed Hilran through the dark halls.

"Oh, a few weeks," Sora replied jokingly. "Remember last time?"

"I don't know where he got to," Hilran replied. Despite the fact the words were probably supposed to sound concerned, they were inflected with a tone that implied otherwise. The three friends exchanged glances, obviously thinking about the same thing. Still, they didn't speak as they followed their odd guide through the corridors.

Suddenly, man stepped out of the shadows. Like Hilran, he wore clothes of white, blue, and gold, though his sleeves were rolled up to reveal intricate tattoos. Like her, he had a hood pulled up over his head. "Greetings," he told them.

"Here might be the one to help us," Hilran informed them. Beneath her hood, Sora could just detect the hint of a smile. "This is Domian, a friend of mine working with the King."

"Haven't found him yet?" Domian asked them. When Hilran shook her head, he added, "Then it's a good thing I came to find you. I just saw him."

"Then can you take us to him?" Riku asked, his voice neutral. His eyes betrayed his disbelief.

Domian seemed a little confused at his tone. "Of course," he responded. He and Hilran exchanged a quick look that Sora almost missed. Then he turned away. "Right this way."

"Get ready," Sora whispered, hoping the others heard his quiet comment. They followed behind the two hooded figures as they headed further into the ominous castle. Domian led them silently down the hallways, with Hilran acting almost like a shadow of the new stranger.

It did not take long before they found themselves at a large door. Domian placed his hands on it, pushing it forcefully open. He gestured for them to enter. "He's right in here." He and Hilran exchanged another look, this time more obvious.

"Now?" Kairi hissed.

"Now," Riku and Sora responded in unison.

The Kingdom Key arrived in a burst of light in Sora's hand. Hilran noticed this act nearly immedietly. Shadows swirled around her hand, forming upward into the form of a deadly looking pole-arm. Domian looked alarmed as she lunged forward. Sora parried the pole arm as one of the blades neared. "What's really going on?" he snapped.

Domian caught her arm as she prepared to lunge again. "You fool! If you hadn't attacked, we could have kept them believing we're still on their side!"

"They'd figured it out anyway," she snapped in reply. Before Domian could speak again, she pulled herself free, brandishing her pole arm with both hands now. "Now, we do this the way it should have been done."

Kairi was the one to block this strike, her Keyblade now grasped firmly in her hands. Riku snuck around behind Hilran, quickly lashing out his Keyblade to force her away. "You going to answer?" he spat. Hilran glared at him, instead choosing to attack him now. Sora was quick to intervene, the Kingdom Key whistling through the air as he aimed it towards the strange, hooded woman. She jumped away before the blade hit home.

Domian sighed from where he still stood by the door. "Taking three on yourself, Hilran? There is an easier way to handle things." Sora's eyes shifted to the other hooded stranger, who now seemed to have attained a darker presence. From amidst the shadows he pulled a Lexicon. In the blink of an eye he'd flipped it open, his hand moving swiftly from above the page to open air. Sora whipped around, bracing himself for the attack.

What happened was not what he had expected.

A stream of dark magic flowed from the fingertips of Domian, lashing out like living shadows towards the nearest target: Riku. Surprise lighting up in his blue green eyes, he launched out a sphere of light towards the oncoming magic. The shadows hissed at the light, curling around it and reaching with dark tendrils towards the teenager. Sora and Kairi both rushed forward, trying to get to their friend before the dark magic reached him. They reached him only a few moments after the shadows had. They wrapped around him, a strange chain connecting him to Domian. Sora's Keyblade slashed downwards in a vain attempt to cut through the magic. The hooded man gave a dark laugh. "You really think that your blade can pierce my magic?" The tendrils ceased to flow from Domian's hands, their remainders curling around Riku's body. His eyes flashed once before turning blank. "Now, your friend is mine."

"What?" Sora exclaimed, surprise lacing his voice.

Domian's smirk was just visible beneath his hood. "Show them, Riku. Capture your friends." Riku lunged forward, his eyes and expression blank as he attacked.

Sora blocked the blade. "Riku, snap out of it!" he exclaimed.

"I don't think it will do any good," Kairi told him.

"No," agreed Domian, "it won't. You can't break my control." He glanced towards where Hilran stood simmering in her robes. "You see? That's how it's done." She glared at him before lunging for Kairi, who ducked out of the way.

"What are you, some puppet master?" Sora asked angrily, forcing away the controlled Riku.

"I guess you could say that," Domian replied, seemingly highly amused. Sora grimaced, ducking away from Riku's blade. Kairi backed away from Hilran as she whipped the twin blades of her pole arm around to slash at her. He narrowed his eyes. _We may be able to fight Hilran, but we can't fight Riku. Not when he can't help it. _He glanced to Domian, who still wore a dark smirk on his face. _And who knows what else Domian has up his sleeve? _He closed his eyes briefly in frustration, opening them up again only moments later to block another of Riku's strikes. _We have to run. _

Without speaking, he grabbed Kairi's arm and pulled her away from their opponents. "What are you doing?" she yelped in surprise.

"We have to get out of here."

"What about Riku?"

"We can't help him if we're captured, too." Sora glanced back at her, hoping he could convey his frustration and sadness in his gaze. "We'll come back for him, I promise."

Kairi met his gaze as they ran. She nodded slowly. "I trust you."

"Stop them!" Hilran hissed.

"I can only control one at a time," Domian snapped back.

"Ug, have to do everything myself," Hilran grumbled. Sora heard the sound of footsteps pursuing them. Gritting his teeth, he raced faster, his left hand still tightly grasping Kairi's arm. His fist tightened around the Kingdom Key. He itched to turn around and face them, but knew that wasn't a good idea. _That Roxas talking again? _he wondered. A small smile pressed itself onto his face. _Probably._

"Where are we going?" Kairi panted.

"I'll figure that out when we get there," Sora gasped in response, whipping around a corner. Noticing a closed door, he dashed towards it, trying the handle. "Locked," he hissed. Listening carefully for the sound of their pursuers gaining on them too much, he raised his Keyblade. A beam of light shot from the tip of the blade into the innermost confines of the keyhole on the door. He pushed down on the handle, dragging Kairi in behind him before swiftly shutting the door.

Not a moment later, the footsteps of their pursuers raced past their hiding place. The two friends held their breath at the sound. Sora waited a few moments after the sound of footsteps faded into silence. Then his breath came out in a rush. "That was close," he breathed.

Kairi didn't respond. Sora turned around to see that she was staring nervously further into the dark room. "What is that?" she whispered.

Sora's gaze flicked to where she was staring. A sphere of darkness swirled around before him, giving off a faint, eerie glow. Narrowing his eyes, he walked cautiously forward. As he neared, the darkness seemed to dim slightly. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked upon the object within. "It's a Keyblade."

"How observant," a voice hissed from the shadows.

Sora whipped around, looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Are you sure you want that?"

The voice seemed closer now. He spun around, to see a man before him. Like Hilran and Domian, he wore garments of white, blue, and gold. However, his hood was down, revealing white hair that shone like metal in the pale glow of the dark Keyblade. He had a long, slender sword that seemed to blaze with darkness.

And he had it up to Kairi's neck.

"Let her go!" he cried, brandishing the Kingdom Key.

The man's blade pressed tighter against Kairi's neck. "Attack, and she dies." Sora narrowed his eyes angrily, his fists tightening around the hilt of his weapon. A small trickle of blood ran down Kairi's neck. Exhaling slowly, Sora let the Kingdom Key go back to where it had once come from. The man smirked. "I knew you'd see it my way."

"Zylen, sir! Is that you?" called the voice of Domian.

The man's eyes rolled back towards the door. "Yes. I have two of the Keybladers in here."

Zylen's distraction was all Kairi needed. She jerked her elbow backwards, hitting him in the stomach. Zylen jerked at the strike, his sword moving away from Kairi. She slipped away from him over to Sora. Together, both their Keyblades returned in bursts of light. "Now it's fair," she informed him.

The door flew open, revealing the still hooded form of Domian. Upon seeing the scene, he flicked his wrist over his Lexicon. It did not take long for the still controlled Riku to arrive. "Get them," he hissed. Riku dashed forward, Keyblade still brandished in his hands.

"Don't forget about us!" Hilran snapped in frustration. She appeared in the doorway, shoving past Domian to get to the fight.

"What 'us'?" Sora scoffed.

"This us," a new voice responded from the shadows. Several more hooded figures appeared from the shadows, weapons of their own materializing in their hands.

Sora's eyes widened in dismay. He blocked Riku's Keyblade, but had to whip around just as quick to block a large tomahawk that was descending towards him. _Where did they come from? _he wondered. Hands reached out towards him, trying to grab him and capture them in their embrace. Kairi cried out in alarm. "Let go!" she exclaimed, trying to jerk away from her captors.

"Kairi!" He tried to go to her aid, but was held back by other hooded figures. Helplessness filled him. _There're just too many! _He felt Roxas inside his heart, frustrated at being unable to help. At feeling the Nobody's presence, an idea burst into life in his mind. For the first time since the battle with Xemnas, he contacted his Nobody. _Roxas!_

_Sora? _ Roxas's surprise at Sora's contact was apparent.

_You want to help, right? _Sora asked, hoping desperately that his plan would work.

_Of course! _

_Then get ready. _Sora jerked away from the grasping arms, letting go of the Kingdom Key as he did. He dashed towards the dark Keyblade where it still hovered in the middle of the room.

_What are you doing? _Roxas cried in alarm.

_Just trust me! _Sora's hand shot out. Upon coming into contact with the darkness around the blade, he felt a jolt of pain lance through him. Gritting his teeth, he tried to force his hand further through the darkness. The hands of the hooded figures grasped for him, trying to pull him back. He struggled against both them and the darkness, reaching ever further towards the blade.

Finally, his hand came in contact with the hilt. He jerked the blade out of its dark prison. _Someone needs to escape, and obviously that can't be us! Roxas, after you're free, you need to get back to the Gummi Ship and escape. Come back after you get help!_ Without waiting for his Nobody to respond, Sora flipped the pointed blade around towards his heart. Then he plunged it into his chest. Pain lanced through him as the blade pierced his flesh and darkness seeped into his heart.

Then the darkness overwhelmed him.

~*~

Roxas felt the odd sensation of being separated from his somebody. It felt strange to be torn from the heart of the Keyblader. Then he was falling through darkness.

When the darkness faded, he found himself lying on the floor in Time Castle. Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet. Though he was relieved by the fact that he'd been reborn somewhere other than the chaos-filled room of the dark Keyblade, he couldn't help but wonder what was happening.

"Who are you?" a voice asked.

Startled, he whipped around, the Kingdom Key appearing in his hands. Before him stood a boy that couldn't have been much older than him, garbed in a blue shirt, silver vest, dark gray pants, and combat boots. A leather belt formed an X on his right hand, and 'No. 1' was tattooed onto his right arm. His dark gray hair shone like metal in the dim torchlight. "I could ask you the same thing," he responded, eyes narrowed.

The boy was looking at the Keyblade curiously. "So, you're a Keyblader? That's good; I was afraid you were a new one."

"New one what?" Roxas asked, curious despite himself.

"Time Racer," the boy replied. "They're the inhabitants of this castle." His head suddenly whipped around, eyes boring down the dark hallway. "They're coming," he hissed. He turned back to Roxas. "Come on; you need to get out of here."

"And why should I trust you?" he asked.

"Do you really want to be captured?" No, of course he didn't. However, he wasn't sure he should trust anyone in Time Castle. Unbidden, his mind flicked backward to earlier that day:

_Be prepared, for strange things lurk inside this castle."_

"_Like what?" Riku quizzed her._

"_Like a strange man with gray metal-like hair," she replied grimly._

Maybe he could trust him. He sounded like the person Hilran had warned them of. Still, he'd have to be careful. "Fine. I'll come, but don't try anything." The boy nodded his assent, leading him swiftly down the dark hallways.

Roxas felt a rush of relief when they exited the castle. "We need to get to the Gummi ship, fast," the boy informed him. "They'll go there as soon as they realize that we're not in the castle."

"You think they'll beat us?" Roxas asked.

"I _know _they'll beat us," he responded.

"And how do you _know _that?"

"Does it matter?" Before Roxas could respond, he added, "Come on." Roxas let his questions die on his lips, instead following the boy down the ever-darkening trail. He couldn't help but wish he could still use the dark portals; they'd get away, and avoid having to return to that _thing._ Then from the depths of the eternal night they ran through, the malfunctioning Gummi Ship came into view. The two teenagers raced towards it even faster than before, desperate to reach it. They dashed inside, heading to the control panel. "You know how to start this…um…?" the boy began, giving Roxas a curious stare.

"Roxas," he replied. "Yeah, I know how to work it." He glanced at the boy as he moved away. "Now your turn; who are you?"

"Angel," the boy replied. "Don't laugh; it wasn't my idea to have this name."

Roxas suppressed the laugh that had threatened to escape, instead focusing on starting up the Ship. In a few moments the engine had roared to life. "Fasten your seatbelt," he warned as he did his own. Then he pulled down a lever on the dashboard. The ship lifted off the ground, hovering a few moments before taking off. The sudden launch into the air caused him to be slammed back against his seat. Gritting his teeth, he reached forward to grab the wheel, trying to get the Gummi ship under control as they rocketed out into space.

Meanwhile, Angel was looking behind them. "I don't think we're getting back there anytime soon."

"Why?" Roxas asked, still struggling to control the ship.

"If you look back, you'll see there's a force field around the world now."

The Gummi ship jerked, making Roxas glad he had his seatbelt on. "I think we're going to have bigger problems." One of the instruments exploded; smoke twirling up from its skeleton. The Gummi ship began a rapid downward descent, heading towards a strange looking world. Roxas glanced back briefly, wishing he could still see Time Castle. _I'll be back, _he promised silently. _Once this thing is fixed, I'll be back to save everyone…that is, if we're still alive._

Little did he know, though, that his adventure had only begun.

_So, there ends chapter two. I know, it's a little weird so far, but it gets better. What do _you_ think so far? Reviews are always welcome!_


	3. Crash Landing

_All right, here's chapter three! Thanks goes out to Inspiration of Imagination for reviewing again. _ Chapter Three: Crash Landing

While Roxas and Angel rocketed down above, a battle was being waged below.

"Look out!" a boy of about eighteen warned.

A girl that could be no more than fifteen whipped around to find a Heartless lunging for her. Immedietly, she lashed out a hand. Upon both hands were gauntlets made of black metal, with three silver metal claws springing from the knuckles on each hand. The claws of her gauntlet cut through the Heartless as easily as if it had been paper. Darkness spun up as the Heartless died, leaving no more than a few smears of black blood behind. She grinned slightly. "Why do you worry, Yuruo?" she asked.

The older boy cut through several Heartless at once with a massive red and black broad sword before responding. "You're my little sister."

The girl shrugged. "So?" She cut through two more Heartless with her claws. "I can still fight." To prove her point, she slew several more of the shadows before rolling away, quickly springing to her feet to cut through another that had jumped towards her.

Yuruo sighed. "You're difficult, you know that?" He cut through another Heartless. "Watch Torin," he told her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the girl replied, seemingly unconcerned. Still, she kept an eye out for her little brother. It didn't take long to spot him, cowering in the bushes not far away from the fight. Two Heartless were creeping towards his hiding place. _Oh, no, you don't! _she cried mentally, jumping forward. Her claws destroyed the two Heartless before they even had a chance to register her attack. Panting from the fight, she stood and looked around. "I think that was the last of them."

Yuruo gave a massive sigh of relief. He stuck the tip of his broad sword into the ground, leaning against it. "How long are those things going to keep coming?" he wondered.

The girl shrugged. "Hey, at least we can beat them."

Just then, she felt a tug on the legs of her shorts. Looking down, she saw that Torin had emerged and was clinging to her. When he saw that he'd gotten her attention, he pointed to the sky. "Look!"

Both Yuruo and his younger sibling looked up to a sky that was growing lighter with each passing moment. The girl narrowed her eyes, just catching a glimpse of something flying across the sky. "Oh, yeah, a shooting star!" She grinned, tussling her little brother's hair like she'd done since he'd _had _hair to tussle.

Torin pulled away from the hand, looking miffed. "No, _look_," he said empathetically.

"I did look," the girl replied, confused. "What, you want me to make a wish? Ok…" and now she closed her eyes tightly, a teasing smile crossing her face. "I wish that we'd find an alien space ship, and that the aliens would decide to take us all back to the Mother ship."

"I'm serious!" Torin snapped. He pointed urgently towards the sky, where the star could still be seen rocketing downwards. "It's going to land!"

"What? I know, shooting stars look like they're going to land, but-" she broke off suddenly, looking intently at the burning shape that still rocketed downwards.

"Come on!" Torin cried, racing after the star.

"Torin, wait!" Yuruo cried, racing after him, his sword still holding its position in the dirt. With a sigh, the girl followed her two brothers. As she ran, she realized that her younger brother had been right. The star – or whatever it was – was quickly rocketing down towards the earthen ground below. She narrowed her eyes as she saw it fall, crashing into the ground. A dust cloud exploded from where the object collided with the soil.

Torin looked back at his siblings as he ran. "See? I told you so."

The girl ignored her brother's taunts. Instead, she focused on racing towards the fallen shape before her. She and Yuruo bypassed their younger sibling. As they neared and the object came into view, she saw that it was a rather battered looking Gummi ship. Yuruo got to the wreck first, but the girl wasn't far behind. Panting, the two surveyed the ship. "Guess your wish came true," Yuruo told her jokingly.

She laughed. "Sort of." Her laugh was cut short when she heard a sound from the ship. "Did you hear that?"

Yuruo nodded slowly. When the sound came again, more audible this time, his eyes widened in shock. "Someone's in there!" He dashed forward, searching for someway to enter the ship and set its prisoners free. The girl removed her gauntlets and placed them in the leather holders on her belt. Then she slid down into the crater around the ship and began to help her brother search.

In the end, she was the one who found a way in. It was what had once been a door, its metal smashed in. She walked forward, gripping at the metal. It fell away easily, with little effort on her part. "Hey, Yuruo! I found a way in!" She heard her brother rush over towards her. She peered into the dark depths of the Gummi ship. She saw two shapes slumped over, seatbelts torn from their clasps.

"Let me through, please," Yuruo said from behind her. Startled, she moved away, letting him pass. He examined the smashed in metal a few moments before trying to force his broad shoulders through the opening. After a few moments of grunting and squirming, he pulled back, shaking his head. "Can't fit."

"Let me try," the girl told him. Yuruo seemed hesitant. She sighed her exasperation. "If someone doesn't get them out, they'll die."

Yuruo, seeing her point, gave a slow nod. "Fine. But be careful."

"Oh, don't worry," the girl replied as she edged her way past her brother towards the opening. She pushed her way through the opening in the metal of the ship, gritting her teeth as shards of metal poked her shoulders, causing small pricks of blood to well upon them. The first person she came to was a boy not much older than she. From the look of it, he'd been a passenger thrown from his seat at the crash. She reached down and grabbed one of the boy's arms, maneuvering him around so that his shoulders were angling towards her. The remains of his seatbelt fell away, and blood still streamed from obvious wounds on his arms and legs. She was relieved he was unconscious; it would save him from the pain. She gripped his shoulders, dragging him out backwards and trying – unsuccessfully – to avoid getting speared by the metal again.

Once she was outside the Gummi ship, her brother grabbed a hold of the boy and helped pull him out. Once out in the light, she saw him clearly for the first time. She cocked an eyebrow. "Weird hair," she commented as she stared at the metal-like sheen.

"Isn't there another person in there?" Yuruo said, reminding her of the other boy.

"Yeah," the girl replied, crawling back through the shredded metal. The second person was further back than the first, forcing the girl to try and force herself further through the wreckage. Upon finding an area where there was too much crushed metal to push through, she was forced to find an alternate route. She crawled around, metal shards stinging her face. She fell to her hands and knees, crawling under a mash of crushed metal. In the end, she crawled around through the wreckage to come around on the opposite side of the pilot's seat.

That was where she found the other boy. He was slumped against the dashboard, the seatbelt torn from the force of the landing. Though there were several gashes along his body, there was no blood. Cocking an eyebrow, she stepped forward and grabbed the boy, beginning to pull him out of the remains of the pilot's seat.

As she was pulling him away, his eyes flickered open. They locked with hers, a strange light within them. "Who…are you?" he croaked.

She was surprised at his words. Instead of responding to his question, she replied, "Don't talk. You'll waste energy."

The boy groaned, trying to struggle out of her grip. "I…need to…get help." He collapsed, unable to keep going.

"You'll get help," the girl promised, though she wasn't sure what kind of help he meant.

His eyes flickered slightly. "Thanks…" he trailed off, fading into unconsciousness.

The girl sighed, wishing she could ask the two boys questions about what had happened. Unfortunately for her, some things had to come first. "Come on; let's get you out of here."

~*~

"Catch him!" Zylen snapped angrily.

Instantly, the Time Racers were running about like fools, desperately trying to capture the Heartless that was Sora. The wraith-like shadow slipped away from them easily, causing them no amount of problems. Aside from the obvious cursing that ensued from the participants, there were several banged heads, bruised arms, and bloody noses received in the chaos.

"Enough of this," Domian snarled, backing away from Hilran while rubbing his head.

Hilran glared at him from her current position on the floor. "This is a waste of time. Can't you just control him with your magic?"

Domian's eyes narrowed as he silently cursed himself for not having thought of it before. "I don't know!" he snapped. "I've never tried it on a Heartless before."

"Damn it!" a voice growled, its owner crashing to the floor where Sora had once been. He pushed himself up, sending his own glare Domian's way. "Well, try it! It's better than chasing after the little pest!"

"Fine," Domian snapped, trying to quell the hot anger inside him. He gestured towards Riku. "Grab hold of him, first. I can only control one at a time, remember?" There were a few grumbles, but the other Time Racers – except for Hilran and Zylen – gathered around the silver haired boy in case he tried to escape after Domian released his magic. Muttering under his breath, he opened his Lexicon, his hand waving over the pages.

Immedietly, Riku's eyes cleared. He glanced around at his surroundings, clearly feeling both confusion and suspicion. "What's going on?" he snapped, Road to the Dawn bursting into his hand. Suddenly the air was filled with a loud _thwack. _He groaned, toppling over.

Where the boy had stood only moments before was a burly Time Racer, a massive hammer gripped in his hands. "Nothing you need to worry about."

"If you've killed him," Zylen warned, fury blazing in the depths of his eyes.

The man quailed under his leader's gaze. Domian felt a small pulse of sympathy for him, knowing how frightening Zylen could be when he was mad. Zylen got what he wanted; if not, well, things could get ugly.

"Excuse me," Domian interrupted, "but could I please get on with this spell?"

"Of course," Zylen conceded to him, his anger dying.

Domian closed his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Please, work." Then his eyes snapped open once more. His hand flew over the Lexicon, causing the pages to rustle as the rush of wind stirred them. Dark tendrils stretched from his fingertips towards the dark form of Sora's Heartless. Startled, the black creature tried to dodge out of the way. However, it wasn't quick enough. The dark magic ensnared him, wrapping around the frail form like hungry snakes that had just captured their quarry. The tendrils ceased to flow from Domian's fingers, and the remains curled around the Heartless. "Listen," he hissed to the Heartless.

For a moment, it seemed as if Sora would obey. Then he seemed to struggle away, trying to break free of Domian's grasp. Behind him, he heard Hilran's snort of laughter. "Good luck," she told him sardonically.

Gritting his teeth, Domian hissed more forcefully, "Listen!" Still Sora resisted, attempting to break free of Domian's hold.

"Listen or the girl dies," Zylen's voice hissed behind him. Glancing around, he saw the leader of the Time Racers had called his sword forth once more, and was once again holding it to the trapped Kairi's neck.

Sora's Heartless responded by lunging towards Zylen. Hilran soon forced him back, however. With all the strength of his will, Domian hissed, "Listen!" In a desperate attempt, Domian shot more magic from his fingers, though as to what type, he could not say. The magic hit Sora, surrounding his Heartless form. "Listen if you want your friend to live!" Sora still struggled, glancing between first Domian, then Kairi, and back again.

It was Kairi who seemed to break the trance. "Sora," she whispered, a small tear seeping from beneath her eyelid. Sora's eyes returned to her, and his struggling seemed to cease.

Domian still felt the need to be sure, though. "Listen!" he hissed again, shoving the force of his will upon Sora. The tear that had fallen from Kairi's eye fell on top of Sora's head. Upon its contact and Domian's final burst of magic and willpower, the room was suddenly filled with light. Domian had to cover his eyes, cutting off his stream of magic while his Lexicon vanished back to the darkness from whence it came.

When the light faded, and the Time Racers were finally able to open their eyes again, gasps filled the room. In place of the Heartless was the real Sora, though looking considerably worn. The Keyblader fell to his knees, panting. "Grab him!" Zylen called. Sora could only present a small amount of resistance as the other Time Racers gripped him firmly and pulled him out of the room.

As they left, Zylen strode over to Domian. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know," he replied, still feeling shocked from the scene.

"Do you think you could do it again?"

Domian gave him a curious, if slightly nervous, look. "What are you thinking?"

"Regardless of the fact that our third key bearer has once again regained his heart, there is still the problem of his Nobody. And I think that you may have provided the way to capture him." A dark grin spread across the man's face. "Get ready, Domian. We're going Heartless hunting."

And that's the end of Chapter three. So, what do you guys think? If you could review, it would be great!


	4. Cyrom

_So, here's the next chapter! Thank you TaylorTyper for reviewing last chapter._ Chapter Four: Cyrom

Light was the first thing that met Roxas's eyes as they flickered open. The second was the unfamiliar setting that surrounded him. He blinked a few times, checking his vision. Upon realizing that yes, he really was in a bedroom, he tried to sit upright. Pain suddenly seared along his torso and arms. Groaning, he fell back upon the bed that he'd been laid on. _Where am I? And how'd I get here? _He vaguely remembered crashing down somewhere, shards of metal spiraling around him and smoke swirling up from the broken instruments. He thought he remembered someone pulling him out of the wreckage, but he wasn't entirely sure.

Thinking about the crash, though, reminded him of Time Castle. Gritting his teeth, he tried once again to push himself into a sitting position. The burning pain returned, but he forced himself to endure it. Finally, he was able to push himself into an upright position, the covers falling away from his chest and arms. He noticed bandages wrapped around a large portion of his chest and his left arm. His right arm only had bandages around his wrist. He cocked an eyebrow. _Why bandage me? _he wondered. _Nobodies don't bleed. _The thought of bandages, though, did beg the question _who _had bandaged him? Exhaling slowly through his nostrils, he steeled himself for the pain of forcing himself onto his feet.

It was a good thing he had, else he would have cried out in pain as he maneuvered his legs out from under the covers and his feet touched the floor. As it was, he couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips. He looked down, examining the damage to his legs. The top half of his pants was still on him, but from there down to his ankles was the white of bandages. He winced as he looked at them. _That bad, huh? _Still, he was determined to keep going. Slowly, he edged himself off the bed and onto his feet…

And promptly fell face first on the floor.

After this little incident, he really didn't feel very inclined to keep going. However, remembering that Sora, Riku, and Kairi were still trapped in Time Castle, he knew he had to keep going. He had to get help, for them. Lifting his head, he glanced around, searching for support.

He found it in the form of a long, withered-looking stick resting by the door near the bed. Slowly, he turned his body, reaching out a hand as he did towards the stick. His fist closed around the bottom. Slowly, he reached up with is left hand, grabbing it tentatively and using it to begin to pull himself upward. In this manner, he finally made it into a standing position.

Roxas took a few moments to rest, hoping the pain would soon subside from his body. When it looked as if that wouldn't happen, he resigned himself to the fact and continued to try and move onward. He stretched the stick forward, using the bottom to help maneuver himself out the door and down the hallway.

It wasn't long before he heard voices. "Where do you think they're from?" asked a male voice.

Roxas paused, knowing the conversation must be about him. _And Angel! _his mind exclaimed as he remembered the strange boy. Though still suspicious of him, he hoped he was Ok.

"Probably a world not too far from here," a new voice replied, this one that of a younger male. "Hell, I'm surprised they even got off the _ground _with that wreck."

"I bet I could make it, Yuruo," a third voice chimed in, this that of a teenage girl. Something about the voice seemed familiar to Roxas, though he couldn't figure out what it was.

"I doubt it," the voice of Yuruo replied. "That thing was such a mess that I doubt I'll ever be able to fix it. Whoever was taking care of that thing was doing a pretty poor job."

Roxas felt his hopes fall at his words. How would he get help now? "I hope they'll be alright," came the worried voice of an older woman.

"I think they'll both recover," Yuruo told her.

"The blond one's a Nobody," the older male added bluntly. "You ever seen wounds like that that don't bleed? I haven't. And everyone knows that Nobodies are the only ones who can't shed blood."

Roxas winced. Their knowledge of his Nobody status didn't help his situation. He decided that, even though he couldn't leave the world, he'd have to find somewhere else to stay. There was too much danger for him from people who disliked Nobodies. Slowly, hesitantly, he began to move onward, his stick sliding across the wooden floor. He held his breath as he neared the door from which the voices had been coming from, wondering how he would get past unseen.

His attention to this, however, would be his undoing.

He slid the stick forward, eyes focused on the door instead of the floor before him. Suddenly, the stick caught in a knot in the wood. He started, caught off guard, causing the stick to jerk. Roxas let out a cry of surprise as the stick fell out from under him and he tumbled to the ground. As he landed, he heard the voice of the younger girl from within the room. "What was that?"

Not a moment later, the head of a brown-haired girl appeared around the corner from the room. "Shadow? Who is it?" the voice of Yuruo called from inside the room.

"The Nobody!" she replied. She stepped out of the room, a big grin on her face and curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "So, you don't like staying in bed, huh?"

"Oh, my!" exclaimed the voice of the older woman. The lady bustled out of the room, bending down to check on Roxas. "What were you thinking, wondering around with injuries like that?"

Two more people emerged from the room. One was an older man, scars lancing up and down his face and arms. The other was a teenage boy a few years older than he. The boy, which he figured had to be Yuruo, said, "Shit, did he hear that whole thing?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied quietly, seeing little reason to lie about it. He met each gaze with one of his own. "If you already knew I was a Nobody, why'd you bandage me?"

"Even if you don't bleed you can get infected," the older woman informed him.

"Not what I meant," Roxas replied dryly.

"What, you thought we'd just let you die?" the girl replied. "Oh, come on! I didn't get all torn up getting you and that other boy out just to let you die."

_So that's why the voice sounded familiar, _his mind informed him, his mind replaying the dim event. "Oh," was all he could say in reply.

"I'm Shadow!" the girl added enthusiastically. "So, what's your name?"

"Roxas," he replied, managing a small smile.

"Where are you from, Roxas?" Shadow asked curiously.

"Don't bother the boy with your questions right now," the older woman scolded her. "Right now, he needs to get back to bed and rest. Yuruo, come help me with him!"

"Ok," the older boy sighed, walked forward. He gripped Roxas's shoulders, pulling him upright. Slowly, he began to help Roxas back to his room. He helped him crawl back into the bed, pulling the covers up over his body once more.

Shadow was in not moments later. "Now can I ask questions?" she queried.

The older woman gave a sigh from down the hallway. "Fine, so long as you don't tax his strength."

Shadow grinned enthusiastically. Yuruo sighed, turning to walk out of the room. "So, you're really a Nobody?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied, adding silently, _Didn't we already establish that?_

"Cool! I've never met a Nobody before." She narrowed her eyes. "Nobodies are the body and soul left behind when a Heartless is created, right?" When Roxas consented, she asked, "So, what's it like, being a Nobody?"

"Shadow!" the voice of the older woman exclaimed, appalled, from down the hall.

"I'm just curious," Shadow called back.

"I don't really know how to answer that," Roxas informed her with a small shrug. The movement made a few sharp pains race through his shoulders, but he tried his best to ignore them. "Now, can I ask you a question? How do you know about Heartless and Nobodies?"

"Heartless started attacking our world," Shadow replied. "My mom knew a few Keybladers once, so she knew all about them and the Nobodies."

"She knew others?" Roxas cried in surprise.

Shadow nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Her brother was one." She disappeared from the room for a few minutes, coming back with a picture held in her hands. She looked from Roxas to the picture and back again. "You know, it's weird. You kind of look like him." Roxas cocked an eyebrow as she handed him the picture. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw a boy that could have been his twin standing near a girl who appeared to be several years older than him. "She said she didn't learn about the Heartless and Nobodies, though, until after Uncle Ven disappeared."

He handed the picture back to her, still wondering at the boy in the picture. "So, what is this world?"

"Cyrom."

"Shadow! Come help me in here!" the voice of the older woman called.

Shadow gave a sigh. "Guess I'd better go help with your friend." With that, she left, leaving Roxas to his thoughts.

~*~

After a few days, Roxas found himself growing increasingly annoyed with being confined to his bed. He learned that Angel was making a steady recovery, though he, too, was still confined to his bed. Shadow and her two brothers, Yuruo and Torin, stopped in often, whether to try and help him while he was still prevented from standing or just to ply him with questions. However, as the days passed by, he felt the pressing urgency of the fact that Sora and the others were still trapped at Time Castle.

Finally, one day he asked Yuruo, "When will I be able to go?"

"What? We haven't done good enough?" Shadow asked.

"No, it's not that," Roxas amended quickly.

"She's just joking," Yuruo informed him with a roll of his eyes. Shadow flashed them a cheeky grin from where she was perched on a dresser. "So, why do you want to know?"

Roxas hesitated. "Well…"

"I bet it's to find his Somebody!" Shadow chimed in, cutting Roxas off.

"What?"

"Don't Nobodies always want to find their Somebodies and become complete?"

"Usually," Roxas told her, "and, yeah, my Somebody is someone I'm looking for. The difference being, I know where mine is."

The brother and sister in the room gave him curious looks. Shadow opened her mouth, but Yuruo cut her off before she could say anything. "Well, I hope you weren't planning to leave Cyrom with that wreck you came here with."

Roxas grimaced. "I'll find a way."

Yuruo nodded to him. As he began to head out of the room, he grabbed Shadow by the arm and pulled her after him, saying as he did, "Don't try to ask someone those personal things. Everyone has their secrets." Shadow protested, trying to escape her older brother's grip, but was ignored. Exhaling slowly through his nostrils, Roxas resigned himself to spending a little more time in bed.

It would not be long, however, before his assistance would be needed.

It was a few days later when the trouble started. Shadow's mother had propped him up, and was slowly taking off his bandages to examine the wounds. Frowning, she told him, "It may take a little more time, but soon, you'll be good to go."

"Thank you," he told her, relief washing over him at the thought of finally being able to find a way to help his trapped friends.

"Now, then, how about some proper clothes, hmm?" she said. She left, returning momentarily with his clothes. "They took a beating, but I was able to stitch them up again." Before he had a chance to respond, she was re-bandaging him and forcing his clothes onto his body.

As the black shirt slipped over his head, the emblem dangling from the top, Torin came rushing into the room. "Mommy!" he wailed, rushing up and clinging to his mother.

"What is it?" she asked, putting a soothing hand on his head.

"Heartless," he whimpered.

"What?" exclaimed Roxas, jumping to his feet. He winced, but was relieved to find that they could once again support his weight on their own.

Torin nodded. "Shadow and Yuruo are fighting them."

The boy had barely finished speaking before Roxas had rushed out of the room, the Kingdom Key appearing in his hand with a burst of light.

_That's the end of Chapter Four. Reviews are great, if your willing to give them._


	5. Heartless Attack

_Hey, and here's the next chapter. Thanks again to TaylorTyper and Ledi for reviewing. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far! _:) Chapter Five: Heartless Attack

Even as Roxas burst through the door to the house, Heartless were lunging for him. He raised the Kingdom Key, blocking the assault of a small Shadow Heartless before quickly cutting it in half. He spun around, destroying Heartless in a wide arc around him.

"Oh, so that's what you meant by others," Shadow's voice said.

Startled, the golden haired Nobody whipped around to see her looking at his Keyblade. "What?"

"When I told you my mom new Keybladers, you said, 'She knew others?' Now I know what you mean!"

"Uh-huh," Roxas replied slowly.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Look out!" Roxas immedietly whipped around, Keyblade poised for attack. However, the Heartless was destroyed before he ever got the chance to attack it. Before him stood Yuruo, brandishing a massive broadsword. "Thanks," Roxas told him. Yuruo nodded an acknowledgement before whipping back around to jump into the fight once more.

Roxas whipped around, Keyblade a blur as he cut through more Heartless. More jumped towards him, dark bodies reaching for him. He slashed across their bodies, which dissipated into black smoke, small trickles of black blood being left behind. Hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, he spun around, twirling his Keyblade once before bringing it up to destroy the Heartless.

He was just moving forward to launch himself into a large swath when pain shot up his legs. They buckled under him just as the Heartless noticed his presence. He brought up the Kingdom Key to block the blow, knowing he wouldn't be able to do any more.

And suddenly, he was being spattered with small specks of black blood, smoke curling up into the sky. Before him stood Angel. He was stripped of all bandages, though by the choice of Shadow's mother or he himself, he wasn't sure. He had two daggers held in his hands, their blades resembling those of sparrow's wings. "Thanks," panted Roxas.

"Yeah, whatever," Angel replied, apparently unconcerned. In a moment he had whipped around and was launching himself into the fight once more.

"Such a nice guy," came Shadow's sarcastic voice. Roxas glanced behind him to see the brown-haired girl shaking her head, braided hair flopping back and forth and gray eyes sparkling with a dangerous glint.

Roxas managed a small smile before attempting to stand. For a moment, his legs were unsteady, and he feared he'd fall over once more. To his relief, he remained upright. Looking at the droves of Heartless, he knew that he'd need more strength for this fight. Focusing hard, he tried to call upon his own Keyblades; the Oathkeeper and Oblivion. To his dismay, they didn't appear. _What's going on? _he wondered in surprise.

And suddenly Heartless were upon him once more, and he no longer had time to ponder his lack of dual blades.

Roxas felt himself falling into a familiar pattern, slashing and lunging and spinning through the Heartless in the intricate dance of swordplay. Around him moved the forms of Shadow, Angel, and Yuruo, each destroying Heartless with their own weapons, sending smoke spiraling into the sky and leaving dark blood to seep into the earthen ground below. He ignored the pain that had begun to lance through his body at every turn; only the instinct to keep battling echoed through him as he flowed from form to form, destroying Heartless effortlessly from months of experience.

As he finished off a particularly stubborn Neoshadow, and frantic cry reached his ears. "More Heartless are coming!"

"What?" came Yuruo's startled yelp.

Roxas gritted his teeth. "I'll take care of them," he told him, racing off towards the outskirts of the town. If anyone protested, he didn't hear them; instead, he focused on what appeared to be a large black mass on the horizon. In racing towards it, he bypassed by far the outskirts, racing out into the dusty land before him. His eyes remained on the black mass, wondering what was going on, and why no Heartless had seen him and begun to come his way.

Then, suddenly, they were gone, dissipating like mist. "What?" he yelped in surprise, skidding to a halt.

"Wait, there are no Heartless?" pouted a voice from behind him. Glancing back, he saw Shadow running up after him. "But that takes away all the fun!"

"Well, if there aren't any Heartless, then you should get back to where the fight really matters," snapped another voice. That was when Angel appeared, running up behind Shadow with a frustrated look on his face.

"I don't get it," murmured Roxas, glancing back to where the Heartless – or the image of the Heartless – had been. "Where did they go?"

Suddenly, a voice boomed through the silence. "Damn it! Not a single one of them was the one we were looking for!"

Angel's eyes widened in surprise. "Hide!" he hissed immedietly. Quickly, he ducked into the shadows of a rock. After a moment's hesitation, Roxas followed, pulling the reluctant Shadow along with him.

Not a moment later appeared a man around the corner. Roxas's eyes widened in shock. He was wearing garments of white, blue, and gold; just as the Time Racers had worn at Time Castle. Only, unlike the others, he'd let his hood fall down, his rust-colored hair glinting like metal in the sunlight. Roxas watched him curiously, wondering what this man could possibly want.

It wasn't long before he was muttering angrily again. "'Cyrom, the home of the legendary Burned City. There should be plenty of Heartless there.'" He rolled his eyes. "Probably all of them except the one we're looking for."

Shadow gasped in surprise. "How does he…?" She cut off abruptly. Before Roxas or Angel could do anything to stop her, she emerged from their hiding spot behind the rock. "Hey!" she cried.

"Oh, for pity's sake," Angel groaned as the man turned back to look at her.

"How do you know about the Burned City?" she quizzed him.

The man just smirked in amusement. "So one of the natives has come to great me, huh? Well, isn't it my lucky day!"

"Um…that isn't an answer."

"Well, truth be told, I don't really have to answer to you," the man informed her. "So, just run along and go back to…whatever it was you were doing."

"Well, that was spying on you, so…ok, whatever."

"What?" he spluttered. "You were spying on me?"

"Yep," came Shadow's cheeky reply.

_Shadow, what are you doing? _Roxas asked her silently.

The man before them seemed offended. "You were _spying _on me?" he repeated. "Of all the nerve! Why, you should be grateful, you disrespectful child! I just destroyed a whole horde of Heartless for you!"

She glared at him. "Why are you here, anyways? I've never seen anyone like you before."

"That's none of your concern, little girl," the man hissed. Darkness swirled around his hand, spiraling upward into a large mace.

Knowing a fight was unavoidable now, Roxas launched himself out of hiding, Keyblade brandished in his hands. "Don't even think about it," he informed him.

The man's eyes widened a few moments before narrowing. "Oh, the little pest comes out of hiding, hm? Well, well, you've played right into my hands." He cocked an eyebrow. "Why would you protect this…_ingrate, _anyway?"

"I am _Sora's _Nobody," he responded, knowing there was no point to hiding the fact.

He snorted with amusement. "Well, you're about to regret that." He swung his massive mace around, aiming it for Roxas's chest. He brought up his Keyblade, blocking the incoming blow. The collision caused a shower of sparks to fly about them. Roxas slipped away, black extending out to try and hit the man in the waist. He dodged easily, only to find himself nearly impaled by Shadow's metal claw gauntlets.

As the man backed away, looking nervous, Angel finally stepped out of his shadowy hiding place. "You should probably leave, Kisue."

The Time Racer's eyes widened in surprise. He whipped around, looking directly at the boy. "What are you doing here?" he spluttered.

"I got a ride off your demented world."

"Ah," Kisue murmured. "You know, we'd wondered about that."

"We?" Shadow wondered. "Can someone fill me in here?"

Kisue seemed as if he was about to answer her, but Angel cut him off before he could speak. "Well? Are you going to leave?"

"Ah, no," he replied. He glanced towards Roxas. "After all, the prize is right in sight." Without warning, he swung his mace at Roxas. He ducked away, but, even as he did, he felt pain lance up his legs and arms.

Instinctively, he reached into the core of whatever is inside a Nobody, searching for a power that had long been forgotten. The Kingdom Key glowed white as his Limit Break began to take hold. "Get ready," he hissed, lunging forward. His Keyblade was no more than a blur of light as he struck at Kisue. The Time Racer barely had anytime to react as the blows hit.

The man fell before Roxas reached his Final Limit, who, in turn, let the power slide back to where it had come from. Roxas looked down at the man, who had let his mace fade back to the darkness. "What's the matter?" he panted. "Giving up already?"

The man grinned sardonically. "Well, maybe another day, hm?" Then a strange light crawled up over him, hiding him from view. When the light cleared, Kisue was gone.

"Who was he?" Shadow asked curiously.

"A Time Racer," Roxas told her.

"A what?"

He shrugged in response. "Ask Angel. Apparently, he knows all about them."

Shadow was quick to open her mouth to question. However, Angel cut her off before she could ask. "Is there anyway for us to leave this world?"

"Us?" Roxas asked, giving him a questioning look. "You still want to come with me?"

"I have a score to settle with the Time Racers, and you seem to be their target of choice." He narrowed his eyes. "I could just as easily go it alone, though."

Something glittered in his eyes, making Roxas wonder just how trust-worthy he was. Still, he felt it was better to have companions on this venture, considering his injured state. "Fine," he conceded.

"Well, getting off Cyrom's going to be somewhat of a problem for you," Shadow said innocently, stripping her hands of the gauntlets and placing them into holders on her belt.

"We already know that," Angel told her sardonically as mist swirled around his daggers, transporting them away.

She shrugged. "Well, yeah, I figured…after all, your Gummi ship's trashed, and ours would be hard to get to."

"You have a Gummi ship?" Roxas interrupted, hope flaring inside him at the thought.

"Yeah," she replied, "but my family doesn't really like anybody seeing it, let alone using it." Her eyes shone. "Maybe I could get it for you, though, if…"

"If what?" Roxas asked skeptically.

A big grin spread across her face. "If I can come, too."

Alright, that's the end of chapter five! Oh, if you're wondering about the whole Burned City thing, part of it will be explained in the future. Cyrom was a world I made up a LONG time ago for a game my friends and I used to play. It had a bunch of made-up creatures and the like, along with legends. The Burned City was one of the legends.

So, what do you think? Review, please?


	6. Legends and Secrets

_And here comes chapter six. Thanks to TaylorTyper for reviewing last chapter!_ Chapter Six: Legends and Secrets

"What?" Roxas exclaimed in surprise. "Why?"

"Because," Shadow replied, drawing out the word, "if I go with you, maybe I could find a way to stop the Heartless from coming to Cyrom."

"And you're bored and want adventure," Angel added dryly.

She scowled at him. "I didn't say that!"

"No, but I bet you thought it."

Shadow opened her mouth, but promptly closed it again. Then it was open again, this time with words pouring out. "At least I don't have metal hair and a 'No. 1' tattoo on my arm." She pointed to the black mark. "A bit full of ourselves, aren't we?"

Angel's brown eyes narrowed. "My hair's not metal, it just looks like it is. And I had no choice about getting the tattoo. It was kind of…forced on me."

Shadow's anger seemed to fade quickly as she thought. "Yeah, what is with the metal-like hair?" she asked. "That guy, Kisue, had it too."

Angel narrowed his eyes. "Just coincidence, I guess."

Shadow seemed to accept this, giving a shrug. Roxas, however, was not as sure as to its truth. However, it didn't say that aloud, instead asking, "What about the Time Racers? You haven't really told either of us much about them."

Angel's eyes flashed with anger and sadness combined as he spoke. Then the emotions were gone, to be replaced with a blank stare that seemed reminiscent of a Nobody. "The Time Racers…are a group of people who can travel through time."

"Wow, _that _was a creative name," Shadow replied sarcastically, a cheeky smile spreading across her face.

"Right, time travelers, but could you be more specific?" Roxas added, ignoring Shadow's words. "Could they, you know, alter what happens or something?"

"Thank God, no," Angel replied. "Then we'd be in a lot more trouble. No, Time Racers can go back in time, and back in time only. Also, they can only view things that happened in the past; they can't change things."

"Ah, but that's boring!" Shadow complained.

Angel glared at her. "You obviously don't see how dangerous even _that _much power over time is. You see, they can find things in the past that they can use against you, to manipulate you like a puppet master would his marionette. Also, when they use their time traveling powers to return to the present, they'll reappear at a time only a few seconds after they left, at any place they choose, making them hard to battle."

"How do you know so much about them?" Roxas quizzed, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I've been spying on them for a long time," he responded grimly, "and fought several of them, as well. It'd be sad if I _didn't _know this much."

"Well, not to interrupt this wonderful conversation in which people are ignoring me," Shadow cut in, "but shouldn't we be heading towards the Gummi ship? After all, my brother will probably get to the shop soon to work on it."

"How do you even have a Gummi ship?" Angel asked.

"My mom came from a different world. Duh." She turned towards the small town, waving a hand for the two boys to follow her. "Well? Come on, already!"

Roxas sighed. "Lead the way." Angel shot him an accusing glare, to which he responded with a shrug, as Shadow strode forward.

"So, what about the Burned City Kisue mentioned?" Roxas asked after a few moments of silence.

"Oh, that!" Shadow exclaimed. She grinned widely. "That's an old legend from back when Cyrom was, uh, new, I guess. It's really cool when you hear it."

"I think that's why he asked," Angel responded dryly.

"I was getting to it!" Shadow responded, though she didn't seem too put off by his comment. "Legend says that long ago, there was a magnificent city, known as Xeiruwe, that was the capitol city of the entire world."

"The entire world?" Angel scoffed.

Shadow ignored the interruption. "Xeiruwe was filled with many different creatures and cultures, but foremost among them were the legendary Silver Fang warriors, so called 'protectors of the light.'" Roxas quirked an eyebrow, thinking they sounded a lot like Keyblade wielders. However, unlike Angel, he didn't cut in, allowing Shadow to continue with her story. "For a long time, Xeiruwe was a beacon of light, harboring anyone who needed help. Then, one day, disaster struck."

Shadow's eyes twinkled with excitement as she continued on, letting her voice reflect the tone of the story. "These massive creatures of darkness came to the world, attacking Xeiruwe. The Silver Fang fought, but they were no match for all of the dark creatures. In the end, nearly all were killed."

"Nearly?" Roxas asked, unable to help himself.

Shadow nodded vigorously. "Only one was able to survive. His name was Gillick Nogard, a new warrior. When it seemed as if there was no hope, that the dark creatures would destroy them, he ran to get the Silver Fang's secret weapon." Her eyes sparkled. "A Keyblade." Roxas's eyes widened, but he remained quiet. Shadow, seemingly slightly disappointed at his lack of response, continued on with the legend. "This Keyblade was special, neither from the Realm of Light, like the people of Xeiruwe, nor from the Realm of Darkness, like the dark creatures."

"How can it be from neither?" Angel interrupted, seemingly frustrated.

"Because it's from the Realm of Nothing," Shadow stated, as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world. "You know, like Nobodies?" Roxas flinched at the word, but Shadow seemed not to see. "Anyways, Gillick used this Keyblade to defeat the dark creatures, therefore protecting Cyrom. However, after the battle, Xeiruwe was in ruins, and the land around it had become completely barren. Distressed, Gillick helped the people of the former city move. Afterwards, he went off to hide the Keyblade from the Realm of Nothing. Supposedly, he hid it somewhere in the ruins of Xeiruwe. As he left when the sun was setting, he looked back once more to the ruins. In the sunset, it looked like the remains of Xeiruwe were burning, hence the name 'the Burned City.'"

There were a few moments of silence in which Roxas and Angel absorbed the information they had been given. Finally, Angel broke it by saying, "Well, that was definitely different."

Shadow's serious attitude she'd had while telling the story had faded away completely, to be replaced with a massive grin and sparkling eyes that reminded Roxas of a five-year-old. "I know, right? It's so cool! Especially how the Keyblade was from the Realm of Nothing, like Nobodies, right, Roxas?"

"Yeah," he replied absentmindedly. The idea of the story still boggled him. _Those dark beings…were they Heartless? And the Silver Fang, were they Keybladers, or just ordinary warriors? And…was there ever really a Keyblade from the Realm of Nothing?_

"Earth to Roxas, anybody home?"

Roxas's head shot up at the sound of Shadow's voice. "Sorry. Just thinking."

"Well, you _might_ just want to pay more attention to where you're going. No, wait, on second thought, don't. It'd be much more interesting if you hit that house." Blinking rapidly, he stopped in his tracks, only now noticing that he'd been on a collision course with a roughly built shack.

"Thanks," he murmured, swerving around the shack as they arrived in the outskirts of town.

Instead of heading through the center, Shadow led them around the outside. "Come on; this is the fastest way to our garage."

"Couldn't we just _ask _to borrow the Gummi ship?" Angel asked.

"Oh." Shadow paused. "Actually, I hadn't thought about that."

Roxas groaned, and Angel hit his palm against his forehead. "You're hopeless." Shadow shrugged, a small smile on her face. She continued forward, leading the two boys towards her house.

Open arriving and entering, she called out, "Mom! Dad! Anyone here?"

"Shadow!" a voice cried in surprise.

From the shadows of the wall emerged Shadow's younger brother, who ran up and hugged her legs. "Torin!" she cried in surprise. She looked down at the boy. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"Dad and Yuruo are out searching, in case there're more Heartless," he responded, looking up into his sister's face. "Mom is-"

"Right here," interrupted a voice. From down the hall, the older woman rushed towards them. She stopped a few feet before them with the exclamation of, "You're Ok!" Then she turned to glare at Angel. "You shouldn't have taken your bandages off."

He shrugged nonchalantly. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Yuruo's cry from outside, "Look out! More Heartless!"

Immedietly, Roxas's Keyblade appeared in a burst of light in his hand. "We can take care of it," he hissed. He took a step forward, but his leg gave out from under him, causing him to fall onto one knee. Grimacing, he tried to force himself back to his feet.

The hand of Shadow's mother fell onto his shoulder. "No. You and Angel are still to hurt to fight them, especially after the two of you raced out of here to fight them before."

"But, what about-" Roxas began, but was cut off by Shadow.

"Mom, we came here to see if we could borrow the Gummi ship."

Roxas saw her eyes flicker with something, a long buried pain that seemed to resonate deep inside her. "Why?"

"If we can go to different worlds, maybe we can find a way to stop the Heartless," Shadow replied, seemingly more excited about the journey than was necessarily required.

"And the Time Racers," Angel added with a glare.

If Shadow's mother had heard him, she ignored him. She glanced from Roxas to the Keyblade that he still held in his hand. His mind winged back to the photograph Shadow had shone him, of Shadow's mother standing next to his twin, Shadow's 'Uncle Ven.' Finally, her mother nodded her consent. "Do what you must. Just be careful."

"When am I not?" Shadow responded with a cheeky smile. Shadow's mother gave her a disbelieving glance, but Shadow didn't appear to notice as she dislodged her younger brother from her legs. She led the other two out of the house to the garage, where the Gummi ship rested. Roxas looked at it, taking a deep breath. Now, things were really about to begin.

~*~

Domian found himself looking down at a small shadow Heartless. "This…is the right one?" he asked.

Hilran glared at him. "Yes, I believe so."

"You _believe _so?" Domian repeated incredulously. He shook his head. "How does Zylen expect us to find the right one, when all Heartless look alike?"

"Just look at his eyes," Hilran replied angrily. "I'm sure he's the right one!"

Domian looked towards the Heartless. For a moment, something odd seemed to happen to the dark creature's eyes. He blinked in surprise before giving a reluctant sigh. "Come on; let's take it to Zylen."

"No need," a voice replied behind them. Both whipped around, startled, as their white-haired leader strode towards them. He glanced towards Domian. "Well? Get on with it."

Domian's gaze returned to the Heartless as he summoned his Lexicon. "Yes, sir." He flipped a few pages, finding himself hoping desperately that he could repeat whatever it had been that he'd done with Sora. Finding the right spell, he shot the tendrils of darkness towards the Heartless. "Listen," he hissed, feeling the controlling magic weave around the Heartless. It looked to him, eyes flashing – if that's what it could be called – as the Time Racer used his magic to try and control it. "Change back," he hissed.

The Heartless, as Sora had, struggled against his control. Hilran seemed faintly amused. "You sure this will work again?"

Domian ignored her, focusing instead on his magic. As before, he let magic fly from his fingertips of unknown origin. "Listen! Change back!" he snarled, forcing his will onto the Heartless. It struggled fiercely against his control, even more than Sora had.

"See? It's trying to resist even harder than Sora," Hilran pointed out.

Zylen looked thoughtful. "Maybe that's because, while we had leverage on Sora, we don't have any on him." Before Hilran could respond to his comment, he walked forward towards the Heartless, leaning down until he was eye level with the Heartless. "If you want to gain your body back, then you will listen." Domian increased the flow of magic blazing from his fingertips. Zylen's eyes narrowed as the Heartless turned to look at him. "If you want to see the light of another day, _you will listen!_"

Still, the Heartless struggled. Taking a deep breath, Domian let fly magic of a dangerous power and amount, letting it wrap around the Heartless. As Zylen uttered another threat to the Heartless, he let the force of his will fuse with his magic. "Listen! Change!" he hissed.

It suddenly felt as if a bomb had exploded between them. Domian was tossed back, his Lexicon disappearing back to darkness and the flow of his magic being cut off. He hit the ground with a thud. For a few moments, he lay there, stunned, taking in shallow breaths. He heard the sound of Hilran's voice, saying, "Well, that was a lot more violent than last time." Domian could only nod, feeling too weak from his exertions of using magic to do anything more. Slowly, he lifted his head.

His eyes immedietly widened in surprise. Before him was a stream of darkness, the faint figure of a man inside. Zylen, upon struggling to his feet, allowed a massive grin to spread across his face. He walked towards the figure in the darkness. "Tell me, do you like having your body back?" The eyes of the figure, gleaming from within the darkness, narrowed slightly before they bobbed up in down. Zylen smirked slightly. "Well, if you want to keep it, you have to help me out."

As the darkness began to clear, the man's emerald green eyes became all the more vibrant in the night. "Whatever you say."

So, there's the end of chapter six, with a little but of editing on the legend of the Burned City to better fit the story. Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you'd review!


	7. Nobodies and Somebodies

_Chapter 7 is now up! Thanks to TaylorTyper and Beth for reviewing last chapter. Oh, and I'm glad you liked the house bit. __J_

**Chapter Seven: Nobodies and Somebodies**

"What?" Roxas winced at Angel's angry outburst, sure the cry could be heard for worlds around.

Shadow shrugged, undeterred by their companions anger. "Come on, Angel. It's not that big a deal."

Angel glared daggers at her. "Not that big a deal?" he repeated, spitting her words back in her face. "How is forgetting to fill up the Gummi ship with fuel not a big deal?"

"I just kind of figured we could stop at another world and get some."

"Oh, really? And just how many worlds do you think even _know _about Gummi ships, let alone have the fuel used to run one?"

Shadow leaned back in her seat, obviously still not worried about Angel's anger. "Chill out, it was just one mistake, alright? We'll get by."

Angel turned his angry glare to Roxas, who'd been trying his best to stay out of the fight. "Why?" he snarled in accusation.

Roxas glanced back at him out of the corner of his eye. "She did help us get the Gummi ship. And besides, in this case, I agree with her."

Angel blinked, appearing dumbfounded. Shadow seemed to take that to mean she was free to stick her tongue out at him. "I told you so!"

Roxas shook his head at her remark, but said nothing about it aloud. Instead, he replied, "I know a world that would have this kind of stuff. And when we left, there wasn't really enough time to fill up the Gummi ship, anyway."

Angel seemed to recover from his shock, narrowing his brown eyes up at their driver. "And what would this world be?"

Roxas looked ahead, and soon saw the looming shape ahead of them. "Hallow Bastion."

~*~

The reactions of the three to the new world were somewhat varied. Angel took it all in in a glance, appearing slightly bored. Shadow, however, was constantly running around, examining everything in her excitement to explore. Roxas, while trying to herd Shadow the right direction, took in the things he'd only seen through Sora's eyes before now with his own.

"What's that?" Shadow asked curiously, her eyes locking on a freezer-like item.

"It looks like ice cream," Angel responded dryly, following them at a distance.

"That's because it is," Roxas replied, steering Shadow away from it. "Come on; that's not why we're here, remember?"

"Yeah," Shadow replied, "but would it really hurt to explore?"

"Not after we find Cid," Roxas informed her.

"Who's Cid?" she asked, coming along more willingly now.

"The Gummi ship expert of Hallow Bastion." Glancing around the streets, Roxas abruptly took a sharp turn. "Come on; it's this way." He led the way silently through the streets of Hallow Bastion, paving a path directly towards where he knew Cid would be. Arriving at Merlin's House, where Cid and the rest of the Restoration Committee still stationed themselves, he raised a fist and knocked on the door.

What he'd forgotten, however, was that they'd never actually seen him.

Merlin was the one who opened the door. Looking out at the three standing before him, he said, "Well, now, what can I do for you?"

"We're here to see Cid," Roxas explained.

Merlin cocked an eyebrow at them. "What for?"

"We need some fuel for our Gummi ship."

"Just fuel, eh?" a voice asked from the back. Merlin looked behind him, then moved out of the way to let Cid through. The man gave the trio an appraising look. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"What? You don't recognize-oh," Roxas cut off abruptly, realizing his mistake. "That's right. Never mind."

"I don't recognize what?" Cid asked, curiosity sparking in his gaze.

Roxas shook his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. "No, it's nothing."

"Wait, did you know him when you were a Somebody? Is that why you knew about him?" Shadow asked. Immediately, Angel stepped on her foot. "Ow!"

"I don't think they're supposed to know about that," he commented dryly.

Roxas glanced back towards them, then turned his eyes back to Cid. The man's eyes were now wide with surprise. "You're a Nobody?"

"Uh, well…" Roxas rubbed the back of his neck, wishing fervently that Shadow had suddenly made things more awkward.

As his silence lengthened, Cid narrowed his gaze. "You aren't one of Organization 13, are ya?"

"No," Roxas replied, "at least, not anymore. I left shortly before Sora woke up."

"How do you know about Sora?" Cid asked, at the same time that Shadow chimed in, "What's Organization 13?"

Roxas exhaled slowly. "Let's go in. This could be a long story."

~*~

"So, this is where he wanted me to go, huh?" From the depths of the shadows stepped a man, emerald green eyes blazing in the pale light; the same man which Domian had returned to human form not long ago. He looked over Hallow Bastion, eyes missing nothing. "How's he so sure that the kid's here?"

"Never you mind that," a voice hissed from behind him.

The man, startled, whipped around. "Geez! What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?"

Zylen stepped out from the shadows, giving him a cold glare. "No, I'm trying to make sure you remain on task."

"I _am_," the man informed him.

Zylen didn't seem as if he believed him too much. "Just make sure to get the job done if you want to keep your human form."

The man snorted, turning away from the leader of the Time Racers. "Fine."

~*~

When Roxas finished recounting his tale, the room had fallen into a thoughtful hush. He looked at Cid and Merlin, who both seemed to have questioned littering their minds. Roxas shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not liking the looks he was receiving from his companions.

Finally, Cid broke the silence. "So, you're really Sora's…Nobody?"

"Yeah," he replied, relived that the awkward silence had come to an end.

Cid shook his head. "Damn, I knew that kid had a way of finding trouble…"

"Wow," Shadow breathed, apparently still thinking about his tale. "And now, we get to be a part of it!"

"Lucky us," Angel added sarcastically.

"So, then, fuel's all ya need, right?" When Roxas nodded his consent, Cid stood. "Well, then, guess it's best to go get some, right?" He abruptly walked out the door, with Roxas, Angel, and Shadow following behind. Cid began walking around towards the back of the building.

As Roxas began to follow, he heard someone's voice. "Well, I guess he was right. The Keyblade kid's here, after all."

Roxas whipped around, looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there?" he snapped, eyes trying in vain to penetrate the shadows in which the voice's owner could hide.

"You know, I wouldn't think I'd be that forgettable." Roxas jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw a tall man standing before him. He wore a gray hooded shirt with the sleeves cut off, the hood pulled up and a giant red X across the front. From the shadows of the hood, emerald green eyes stared out. _No…it can't be, _Roxas thought, incredulous. The man smirked. "Oh, you do remember, don't you? No? Here's a hint; got it memorized?"

Roxas backed away, sure he must be seeing a ghost. "But…I saw you die…"

"Are you sure?" the hooded man asked.

Roxas knew he should be happy; this was his best friend, after all. Yet, something was off. He narrowed his eyes, and, suddenly, things clicked into place. "No…you aren't Axel. You're his Somebody, aren't you?"

The man smirked. "Man, you're quick." He threw back his hood, revealing red hair several shades darker than Axel's had been. "You're right; I'm Lea." He snorted, shaking his head. "I told him it wouldn't work."

"Told who?" asked Roxas, suddenly wary. He had to remind himself that it was _Axel _he had known, not the man that stood before him.

"Probably Zylen," Angel's voice said from behind him. Roxas's head whipped around in surprise at the voice. He'd almost forgotten that his two companions had followed him. Angel's eyes were narrowed as he looked up at Lea. "Well? Am I right?"

Lea gave a humorless laugh. "Sharp as a tack, I see. Well, I guess it's time to get down to business." Darkness swirled around his hands, spiraling into what appeared to be large Chakrams. Unlike Axel's, however, they radiated darkness, with deadly barbed edges - complete with metal skull. "You know, I wasn't really here to have a chat about my Nobody knowing you. I'm here to get rid of you; got it memorized?" His words lilted with mocking.

Roxas immediately summoned the Kingdom Key. "Why?" he asked.

"That information is on a 'need to know' basis. Classified." With that, he sent a single Chakram flying towards Roxas. The blond Nobody deflected it easily with his Keyblade. Looking at Lea, though, he held back from striking. How could he fight his best friend's Somebody? Watching this reaction, Lea laughed. "Wow, he really was right about you! Pretty soft-hearted, for someone who _has_ no heart."

"Hey! We aren't afraid!" came Shadow's agitated voice. Glancing her way, he saw that she had donned he claw gauntlets. Angel, meanwhile was summoning his daggers in a spin of mist.

Lea looked over these new odds slightly nervously. "Three against one isn't fair!" he said, seeming somewhat childish. Still, he didn't seem to hesitate in launching both his Chakrams in Roxas's direction once more. Roxas was able to deflected the first one, but the other grazed his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as the barbs tore at his skin, wishing once again that he was still able to summon his two Keyblades. The strike, however, was enough to aggravate him into launching a counter offensive. He jumped forward, brandishing his Keyblade as he swung it towards Lea. The man was caught off guard as the Keyblade hit home across his stomach. He skidded backwards, landing on the ground with a thud.

He looked up at them. For a moment, his eyes narrowed, and he cocked his head to one side, as if listening to something. Then he sighed and stood. "Well, I guess the fun's over, for now. The boss-man calls, and I have to listen."

"Or what?" Angel asked him suspiciously. Lea smirked, choosing not to answer. Instead, he backed into the shadows, letting them swallow him.

It was barely a second afterward when Shadow complained, "Oh, come on! We didn't even get to fight!"

~*~

Merlin grinned at the person before him. "So you did come."

The person, who appeared to be a mouse, stepped forward. "I figured I could help if you still needed it."

Merlin glanced out the window towards the newly formed trio. "Oh, more than you know, my friend."

* * *

_Ok, so there ends chapter 7. Ug, not my best writing job on this one, so sorry if I disappointed any of you. Reviews would be great, please!_


	8. Faded

_Alright, here's chapter 8. I have a request at the end of this chapter, so I'd appreciate it if you'd look! Thank you TaylorTyper, Beth, and Mirai M. Mieux for reviewing last chapter. Glad all of you liked it!_

**Chapter Eight: Faded**

The orange glow of twilight hung over the town, casting an array of shadows and light across its various streets and buildings. Towering above the town was a massive clock tower. In the deep shadows of this tower, a man stood. The traditional garb of the Time Racers could just barely be distinguished in the shadows. His hood was pulled up over his head, shielding most of his facial features from view.

"Well, Mr. Boss-man, I did what you asked," a cocky voice said, breaking the tranquil silence that had pervaded until that moment.

Under the shadows of the hood, the man smirked. "It impresses me that you'd do this, Lea. Considering your connection to the boy."

Lea emerged from seemingly empty space before the man, a dark smile on his face. "My Nobody had the connection, not me. Besides, I do anything to stay human. Isn't that what you offered, Zylen?"

The leader of the Time Racers didn't answer directly. Instead, he responded, "Isn't your Nobody considered your other half?"

Lea seemed somewhat annoyed by this comment. "Look, him being my Nobody doesn't make us the same."

Zylen looked up, eyes glinting from the deep shadows of his hood. "Yes, of course. After all, he did have contact with the Nobody of that annoying Keyblader…and her."

"Her?" Lea asked, seeming surprised.

Zylen seemed not to hear him. He shook his head, saying, "She shouldn't have been able to become her own person. Yet she did, completely separate from any other entity…"

The dark man trailed off, leaving Lea to look at him like he'd completely lost it. "Well, _anyways, _why'd you call me off him? I could have taken him down, easy."

"This was simply a test run," Zylen replied calmly, "to see how he would react to fighting his best friend's Somebody. On the whole, it seemed odd. He was somewhat reluctant, yet he was still fighting."

Lea shrugged it off, unconcerned. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just call me when you need me again."

Zylen glanced at him sharply. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know, bother the townsfolk or something like that," Lea replied with a smirk over his shoulder. Then he left, leaving Zylen alone to his quiet shadows once more.

~*~

"So…Lea, huh?" Cid asked. He had returned when he realized the others hadn't followed him back.

Shadow was nodding enthusiastically. "Uh-huh! He's Axel's Somebody, right?"

"You're too excited over this," Angel informed her, slight annoyance edging his tone.

She ignored him. "Right?"

"Yes," Roxas groaned, feeling as annoyed by her as Angel was. From the time Lea had left, she'd barely stopped talking about the encounter. First it was muttering under her breath that she hadn't gotten the chance to _do _anything, then it was an increasingly enthusiastic retelling of the events when Cid came back. And now that her bright spirits had been restored, she couldn't stop, even after she'd retold the story twice and seemed to be starting in on another.

Roxas exhaled a sigh relief when Merlin appeared from within the house and cut her off before she could do so. "Roxas, Shadow, Angel?" he called.

The three walked left Cid and walked over to where Merlin stood. "What is it?" Roxas queried.

Merlin was smiling. "There's someone I'd like you all to meet."

Before any of them could speak again, a large mouse appeared in the doorway. "Hiya!" he greeted them when he saw them.

"King Mickey?" Roxas couldn't help the cry of surprise that escaped his lips.

Mickey looked up at him. "You're Roxas, right? Sora's Nobody?"

"Uh, yeah," he replied.

"Well, I see you guys have something important to talk about," Cid interrupted. "So, I guess I'll just go and fill your Gummi ship for ya, eh?"

"Thanks, Cid!" Shadow called after him as he left.

Then all eyes were once more on the King. "So, Merlin says that Sora's been captured again?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied.

"So, what are you guys gonna do about it?"

Roxas didn't answer right away. He had left to find help…but, thinking back, if Angel really _had _seen the force field, then getting back to Time Castle was going to be hard, if not impossible. "I don't know," he confessed at last. "Try to find a way to get back to Time Castle and sort this whole thing out, I guess."

"Oh, I see."

Angel gave Mickey a skeptical look. "How much do you know about this, anyway? Why are you here?"

Mickey didn't seem put off at all by Angel's attitude. "I only know what Merlin told me in the last few minutes. You know, about Time Castle and Sora."

"And the reason he's here is my doing," Merlin added. "I'd wondered if he could help us with continuing to rebuild Hallow Bastion…or Radiant Garden, I guess is its real name."

"Say, who was that man I saw you fighting earlier, Roxas?" Mickey asked.

"Lea," he replied. "Axel's Somebody." He wasn't sure how much the King knew about his friendship with the lost Organization 13 member, but didn't worry too much about it. He was still trying to comprehend the fact that he'd just seen his best friend's Somebody, not quite sure what to make of the situation.

Thoughts of the fight, however, brought another question to the forefront of his mind. He decided to ask it, instead of dwelling on the battle that had recently transpired. "Your Majesty, can I ask you something?" When the King consented, he continued. "Before I became a part of Sora, I could dual wield Keyblades. Now, though, I can't do that anymore. Can you…can you tell me why?"

Mickey looked thoughtful. "Hmm…well, for starters, it might help to figure out how you were able to dual wield in the first place."

"Well…" Roxas paused. "I'm not really sure. It was just before I battled against Riku at the Memory Skyscraper." He paused again, racking his brain for details. "I…think it started with me wielding two Kingdom Keys."

"Really?" Mickey asked, surprised. "Well, then, I guess we gotta figure out how you could do that." Roxas closed his eyes, thinking back to that day. He heard Mickey say, "What can you remember?"

Then he was back in the torrents of his memory, searching for an answer.

_Rain pounded down from above in endless waves. It caused the somber darkness that already prevailed in the World That Never Was to become all the more prevalent. He strode forward through the torrent, the rain that fell around him, dripping from his coat and into the puddles that littered the dark streets, reflecting his dark mood. He looked ahead through the shadows of his hood. _Never thought I'd come back, _he thought to himself._

Something felt wrong. This was his memory, he _knew _it was, but it felt as if there was a piece missing; as if it were incomplete, somehow.

_Neoshadows began to spawn before him, emerging from their dark hiding places to watch him with their glowing yellow eyes. He glared at them. _You can't stop me! _he thought vehemently at them. Light blazed around his hands, and two Kingdom Keys sprang into view._

_But how'd I get them? _he wondered as he replayed the scene in his mind.

_As the Neoshadows multiplied, he raised his two Keyblades, crossing them in an X. He drew power off of what the others would have called his 'imaginary feelings'; he drew power from the strength of his purpose; and he drew power from…from-_

_And, suddenly, instead of two Kingdom Keys, they were Oathkeeper and Oblivion, ready to do battle against the Heartless._

Letting the memory die, Roxas searched his mind for anything that could hint to where he'd gotten his second Keyblade. Try as he might, though, he could find no clue as to its origins. It seemed as if it were suddenly just…there. It was if his memory had faded, leaving out vital parts to his past to leave him spiraling through confusion.

"Er, anything, Roxas?" Shadow asked, breaking into his thoughts.

He snapped back into reality, shaking his head. "No. It's as if it just appeared out of thin air."

Mickey sighed. "Gosh, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you, Roxas."

Roxas just shrugged. "It's Ok. It's my problem, not yours."

Merlin looked to him. "Don't be too sad, now. We can figure it out, eventually."

"Hey, I'm back!" Cid's voice exclaimed. Everyone turned to see the man striding towards them. "Gummi ship's full and ready to go."

"That means its time for us to begin our search," Angel said.

"Right," Roxas replied with a nod. His eyes lifted to the sky. _We will find a way back, _he called silently. However, he knew that this quest had only begun.

~*~

_Who's there?…What? I don't understand, who are you?_

Not who you'd expect.

_Tell me! What's going on?_

…Life is an interesting thing; it's almost like a book. Each person's tale becomes a new chapter in the book. We each carve out our stories with meticulous care. But, as with all books, there are unexpected twists the characters' lives can take…

_So? What the hell are you trying to tell me?_

…You must be prepared, to walk forward into the darkness of the unknown. Your story has not yet reached its end…

* * *

_Alright, so, that's the end of Chapter 8. I have a request for you guys. There's a poll on my user page, with the question, 'Should Lea and Axel have a confrontation?' Not only will this poll decide, though, whether or not the two meet again, it will also decide whether or not Axel will appear outside of memories in the story. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd vote!_

_I'd love reviews, too, if you'd be willing to give them._


	9. Puppet Without a Heart

_So, chapter nine is up. Thanks to Horizon's Knight, Mirai M. Mieux, and TaylorTyper for reviewing last chapter. Oh, and Happy Holidays! _

**Chapter Nine: Puppet Without a Heart**

Zylen found himself becoming increasingly vexed with the Keybladers.

At this moment, the three were sitting in prison-like cells in the ruins that were Time Castle. Domian and Kisue had followed him down into the damp dungeon, but had decided to wait at the door to view the happenings. Hilran, however, had not been hesitant to walk in after him, only to become frustrated was she was told to stay out of things. Currently she was running a whetstone along the already razor sharp blades of her pole-arm, watching the three prisoners with fire in her eyes. Zylen, himself, was pacing in front of the cells, hands folded behind his back.

After a few moments he stopped pacing, turning his attention to Sora. "What have you got to lose by following my plans?"

"Everything," Sora replied.

"The worlds could be shaped for the better," Zylen informed him, "a minimal harm would come to you and your friends."

"Shaped for the better?" Riku scoffed from further down. "You'd destroy them."

"Quiet!" snapped Hilran, brandishing her pole-arm with a flourish.

"Calm, Hilran," Zylen told her, extending an arm as a signal to back down. With a final glare to Riku, she nodded acceptance, finally letting her weapon fade back to darkness.

"You brought us here for something dark," Kairi said, "but that doesn't mean we have to go along with it."

The leader of the Time Racers was doing his best not to let his frustration show as he turned back to Sora. "What about you? You seem oddly quiet. Your Nobody had too big an influence on you?" Sora opened his mouth to speak, but Zylen decided it was best not to wait around to hear the answer. He already knew what it would be. He turned around and stalked out the door, the three other Time Racers following slowly behind.

_Speaking of his Nobody, _he thought. "Lea!" he barked.

"What?" snapped a voice.

Lea materialized before him. Zylen narrowed his eyes a bit, but didn't comment too on his tone. Instead, he replied, "Go seek out Roxas. Maybe its time we toyed with him a bit more."

~*~

"Come on, guys!" Shadow begged as the flew through the endless space.

"No," Angel informed her.

"Oh, where's your holiday spirit?"

"Non-existent," the metal-haired boy replied with a sigh.

Roxas, up in the pilot's seat, shook his head. After leaving Hallow Bastion, he'd taken them back towards Time Castle to see if Angel had been wrong. Unfortunately, he wasn't, leading him to take them towards other worlds. The world they were hovering outside of now, Halloween Town, had apparently sparked a memory of something inside Shadow; Christmas.

"It's not that far away," she said pleadingly.

"I told you before; NO!"

Her eyes turned towards Roxas. "Come on, Roxas. Didn't you ever celebrate Christmas?"

He shot a glance back to her. "_Sora _did. In the Organization, we didn't really celebrate holidays, so I've never actually gotten to."

"See? Then we have to celebrate!"

"Stop saying that," Angel snapped, rubbing his temples.

Roxas decided it was time to interrupt the argument. "Well, regardless of whether we celebrate it or not, we have to land sometime. We need food, and I'm not sure I want to try sleeping in space."

"Then let's go find somewhere," Angel replied, leaning back in his seat.

"Why not here?" Shadow cried.

"Here?" he scoffed. "We'd need magic to blend in with the inhabitants. And, in case you haven't noticed, none of us have that kind of magic."

Shadow beamed proudly. "Well, maybe someone thought ahead." When both boys looked at her curiously, she produced a jar with something glowing inside. "I asked Merlin if he could loan me some before we left."

Roxas blinked a few times in surprise. "You can…bottle magic?"

"Apparently," Angel replied, apparently in as much shock as he was.

Shadow looked at them expectantly. "Well? Are you going to land or not?" Roxas turned back around in his seat, quickly steering the ship towards the world. As they descended, Shadow opened the bottle, allowing the magic to flow around them. Roxas brought the Gummi ship up, letting it hover above the ground a few moments before landing. Shadow was quick to rush out, while Roxas and Angel followed more slowly behind.

Outside, Roxas saw that she was grinning widely. "Well? Did I do good or what?"

"What," Angel replied sullenly, looking down at his Frankenstein-like attire.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," Shadow replied. She herself looked much like a witch, though she retained her claw gauntlets at the belt on her waist instead of the traditional wand and broomstick.

Roxas decided to take the risk of looking at his reflection in the side of the Gummi ship. The white jacket he usually wore was now missing, leaving only the no-sleeved black shirt underneath. His face now had a pallor complexion, with small fangs protruding from his lips. Two small black wings with white spikes were on his back. He knew from being part of Sora, though, that these were purely ornamental. His pants were now black with orange markings, and he wore black boots. The bandages remained as they were, covering his entire left arm and only his right wrist.

"Well, come on!" Shadow cried as she strolled down the dark streets towards the town.

"You could wait!" Angel called after her, following the energetic girl. Roxas, smiling slightly, followed behind the two. Upon emerging into the center of the town, memories of his time in the organization immediately filled him. Remembering a certain enemy he'd had to fight here, a grimace crossed his face.

"What's that for?" Shadow asked, obviously noticing.

"Leechgrave," was all he said in reply.

Shadow, though she still seemed confused, didn't question him further. "So, where do we find food here?"

Roxas jumped in surprise when a skeletal hand landed on his shoulder. "Hello, there! Are you looking for something?"

He recognized that voice. Giving and inward sigh of relief, he turned his head up to see the face of Jack Skellington. "Actually, we were wondering if there was anywhere to buy food."

"Oh, that's no problem!" Jack replied. He pointed towards a small shop further along the street.

He was about to say thanks and head away when he saw the look Shadow had on her face. Angel was looking at her nervously. "No, she's not going to…"

"Hey, Jack, can I ask for a favor?"

"Oh, she is." Throwing his hands up in the air in frustration, Angel walked away towards the shop.

"Sure, what do you want?" the Pumpkin King asked, bending down.

"If there's a Halloween Town, then there's a Christmas Town, too, right? Well, I was wondering if you could take me and my friends there, so that we could celebrate Christmas!"

"Hmm, it would be nice to see Sandy Claws again," Jack said, nodding. "Alright! I'll take you there tomorrow!"

"Yes!" Shadow cheered, jumping up in the air. Roxas, however, wasn't sure how to react.

~*~

After deciding that the food Angel had bought wasn't worth risking (even though he'd claimed in was the best he could find), the three fell into restless sleep. Roxas found himself thinking about the next day. Something he could celebrate…as himself? Not seeing things through the memories of his Somebody or experiencing them through only his experiences, but getting to see and do everything first hand. The thought of celebrating Christmas as himself made him excited, though he was determined not to let it show…too much.

It seemed as if the next day came in the blink of an eye. Shadow was up alone at first, but quickly remedied that by stealing the boy's blankets and nearly pushing them out of the Gummi ship. "Calm down, we're coming," Angel grunted, moving away from her pushes and stretching.

"Well, hurry up!" she cried, exiting the Gummi ship. Roxas was soon to follow. Eventually, Angel made his way out of the ship, and they were on their way to the center of Halloween Town.

Jack was already waiting. "Good morning!" he called to them.

"Hey!" Shadow called, waving. Roxas settled for a nod, while Angel seemed to be ignoring everyone.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Jack asked. "Let's go!" Roxas smiled slightly, following quickly behind.

As he walked through Halloween Town, though, his excitement was tainted by the sour memories of this place while he was in the Organization. Sure, they weren't all bad, but many times he couldn't help but wonder why he had chosen to follow them. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the unwanted thoughts, and concentrated instead on what was coming up…and not acting like Sora when he'd wanted to see Santa.

It wasn't long before the four found themselves in a forest. Jack led them through the heart of it, right to a crest of trees, each with their own door. "Well, here we are," he stated. He walked forwards towards the tree that had a Christmas tree shaped door. Turning the knob, he said, "This will lead us right to Christmas Town." Shadow was quick to push her two companions through, jumping in afterward.

For a while, it felt, to Roxas, as if they were simply falling through empty space. Then suddenly there was solid ground beneath him, and…something cold and white. He tumbled through the substance, ending up laying flat out on his stomach. Behind him, he heard the sound of Angel, Shadow, and Jack finding their own ways into the cold world. "Snow!" he heard Shadow exclaim, excited.

_So, that's what this is called, _Roxas thought, sitting up. Despite the cold, he picked some up in his hands, watching it melt into water. There had never been snow on Destiny Islands…or any other world he'd been to, for that matter. Considering how hard it was making him shiver, that was probably a good thing.

"Welcome to Christmas Town!" Jack's voice cried from behind him. He looked over his shoulder, seeing that the others were all already on their feet and walking over to the snow covered town itself. Hastily he scrambled to his feet, not wanting to get left behind. His own reaction surprised him a little. _I really want to do this that bad, huh? _he wondered. _Maybe Sora's rubbed off on me. _Looking ahead at the receding shapes of his companions, he followed.

As he reached the main hub of the town, memories from when he'd watched through Sora's eyes filled his mind. _Yes, all that pour puppet wanted was a heart. _He blinked, looking at the spot where Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack had all fought Dr. Finklestein's creation. The words the old inventor had uttered seemed innocent enough. However, he couldn't help but feel as if they should have more meaning to him. _A puppet without a heart, _he thought.

Unbidden, a tear slipped down his face. Surprise filled him, and he quickly wiped the frozen droplet away. _A Nobody's tears, _he thought, wondering at it.

"Look!" the voice of Shadow cried from up ahead.

Roxas's head shot up. Before Santa's workshop stood his companions. However, before them was something he'd hoped not to see. "Heartless," his hissed under his breath. Immediately, the Kingdom Key burst into his hand. He lunged forward towards the dark creatures. Apparently, the celebrations would have to wait.

* * *

_So, can you guess who I was referring to in this chapter? Reviews would be appreciated, if you're willing! Also, the Axel/Lea poll is still open, if you want to vote._


	10. Nobody's Celebrations

_Happy Holidays, everyone, and here's chapter ten! Thanks to Beth and Mirai M. Mieux for reviewing last chapter. _

**Chapter Ten: Nobody's Celebrations**

The Keyblade immediately came into contact with several small shadow Heartless, cutting their frail bodies in half and sending streams of smoke towards the sky. The Heartless, noticing a Key bearer had joined the fight, lunged at him. He gripped the hilt of the Keyblade tighter and whipped it around to hit several more Heartless. There was a flurry around him as Jack, Angel, and Shadow all added their own attacks to the melee.

Suddenly he felt something tugging on his shoulders, carrying him up towards the sky. Glancing up, he saw the Heartless, and a grimace crossed his face. _Carry ghosts. _Pain was lancing through him as the ghost-like Heartless carried him higher in his strange attack. Roxas swung the Keyblade back behind him. Satisfaction rushed through him as the blade sank into the Heartless. Suddenly, the grip on his shoulders was gone, leaving him to fall to the ground. He bent his knees as he hit the ground, letting them help absorb the impact.

It wasn't as effective as he'd hoped, though. The impact, even on the snowy ground, caused pain to lance up his legs. Groaning, he fell to his knees. _It shouldn't have had that much effect, _he thought as he forced himself to ignore the pain and whip the Keyblade around into another Heartless. He groaned as he realized what had happened. _I still haven't completely healed from the Gummi ship crash!_

"Roxas, behind you!" a voice cried in alarm. Startled, he forced himself to his feet, whipping around at the same time so that his Keyblade came in contact with the waiting arms of the approaching carry ghost. It flew back, slightly stunned by his attack. He staggered forward, brandishing his blade as he slashed at the Heartless several more times before it finally dissipating into smoke and bits of black blood, the heart inside floating up to the sky.

His legs still shook, though they were slowly recovering. He leaned back against the wall of Santa's workshop, letting the Keyblade fade away. He glanced towards the other three. Jack and Shadow seemed relatively unharmed, though Shadow had garnered a few small scratches. Angel, however, looked as worn as Roxas, one hand over his chest as he leaned over. _Apparently, neither of us has healed, _he thought as he looked at the other boy.

Shadow wasn't afraid to point this out. "You two need rest," she stated simply.

"I'll be fine," Roxas told her, hoping that was true.

"So will I," Angel added. His words, however, were contradicted when a grimace spread across his face and a quiet groan escaped his lips.

"Mh-hm," the brown-haired girl replied sarcastically. "So, you're telling me you guys have _completely _healed from the accident." At this, neither chose to reply. "Well, then, you guys need to rest!" She quickly grabbed the two and forced them towards the door of Santa's workshop, despite their protests.

Inside, a fire burning in the fireplace melted away the cold chill of the outer world. Slowly, feeling began to come back to Roxas's frozen body, causing him to let out a quiet sigh of relief. Snow, whatever anyone thought of it, was still cold.

"My, who's there?" a voice asked from an adjacent room.

"Just me, Sandy!" Jack called from behind the three teenagers. "I brought some friends with me this time."

From a doorway emerged a round, jolly-looking man garbed in red. His eyes seemed to glow as he stared at the three. "Ah, I recognize you two," he said. "Shadow and Angel, correct?"

"Yeah!" Shadow said, excitement pulsating through her voice.

Then his eyes turned to Roxas. The Nobody, looking at the man, suddenly had an understanding - of a sort - of what Sora had felt when he'd been so anxious to see him. "Santa?" he asked tentatively, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, that's right," he replied, "but I don't believe I know you. Strange…you look sort of familiar."

"I'm Roxas," the boy replied. "I'm, um…Sora's Nobody."

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _he cursed himself mentally. _You're not supposed to just give that away! _He looked at Santa for his reaction. It wasn't what he had expected. A warm smile had spread across the man's face. "Well, that would explain why I recognize you, wouldn't it? And why I didn't know your name." Suddenly, his gaze grew troubled. "But, how did Sora get a Nobody? He's not on my naughty list, I'm certain of that."

"We'll explain everything later," Shadow assured him. "But, right now, I need to ask a favor."

"Yes, of course," the old man replied.

"My two friends here were in an accident a while ago and still aren't quite healed. I was wondering if they could rest here?" Angel sent her a questioning look as she said the word 'friends.' Roxas, however, did nothing, simply looked to Santa for confirmation.

He smiled at her request. "Of course they can. In fact, you can all celebrate Christmas here, if you'd like."

"Really?" Shadow cried in delight. When Santa nodded, she pumped a fist into the air. "YES!"

"No," moaned Angel, slapping a palm to his head.

"So, you're Sora's Nobody, huh?" Jack asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I look forward to hearing the story." He didn't have a chance to say more, though, as the two boys were ushered away.

~*~

Roxas was having a sense of déjà vu as Shadow and the elves forced him to remain in his bed. "I'm Ok now," he informed them. "The pain's gone."

"Yeah, but the wounds haven't _actually _healed," Shadow replied, applying new bandages around the bloodless flesh.

Angel had propped himself up against the bedpost while the elves went to work making sure his wounds were completely clean. When they were done with their inspection, Shadow strode over to him and wrapped the lengths of white cloth around his chest, arms, and legs. "You know, I'm just going to take them right back off again."

"Shut up and let me work," Shadow replied. As an after thought, she lifted her head and stuck her tongue out at him. A smirk crossing his face, he turned his head away. After a while, she pulled away and lifted her head, a satisfied smile on her face. "There! All done!"

"Oh, good, I can remove them quicker," Angel replied, immediately stretching a hand towards the white wrappings.

Shadow hit his hand away. "No, bad boy. Sit. Stay."

Angel glared at her. "I'm not a dog."

She ignored his comment. Instead, she turned to the elves. "Make sure he doesn't take them off." They nodded their consent.

"What are you going to do?" Roxas asked her.

"_Nothing,_" she said, mischief in her eyes as she headed towards the door. She paused at the threshold, adding, "Oh, make sure that Roxas doesn't try and sneak out, too." This time she didn't wait for their response, hurrying out the door. Roxas could almost see her excitement.

"Hooray, she's gone," Angel said dryly. "Now, where was I? Oh, yeah." He reached out for the bandages once more. This time, instead of a slap on the wrist, he got several elves hanging off his arm. "Hey! How am I supposed to do this with you hanging there?"

"That's the point," one responded.

Roxas couldn't help a small laugh at his predicament. Absently, he found his eyes wondering towards the door. Curiosity bubbled inside him as he tried to see further beyond the frame, wondering what Shadow was planning. For a moment, he considered slipping out of bed and sneaking out to see. Then his eyes returned to Angel and the elves, and noticed the others that were watching him intently. _Then again, maybe not, _he decided, trying to force his curiosity away.

~*~

Days later, Roxas found himself in a staring contest with an elf. "Can't I at least walk around the room?"

"Only if you want elves hanging off you," the smaller creature replied.

Frustrated, he looked away. His entire body itched to do something, _anything _besides sitting in bed for days on end. However, every time he tried to move from his position on the bed, the elves would converge on him, and he'd be forced back onto it once more. At this point, though, he was almost beyond caring.

Shadow chose that moment to burst into the room. "Hey, guys! Do you know what day it is?"

"Christmas?" Roxas said, figuring he knew what she was so excited about.

She nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh! And that means you guys can come out now!"

Roxas took no time in springing out of bed, relived to at last be free of the confines. His legs were a little wobbly when he first hit the ground, but he soon had them under control once more. Shadow was first out the door, dragging Angel behind her, leaving Roxas to follow behind.

When Shadow led them to the main room, Roxas's eyes widened in surprise. "Merry Christmas!" she cried.

In the center of the room stood a massive pine, light shining from various ornaments in place upon it. Other than that, the room seemed relatively the same…but, for Roxas, it felt completely different. "Sorry there aren't any gifts," Shadow replied with a shrug.

"It's fine," Roxas told her. _I've already got mine, _he added silently. _I get to understand. _

"Who's up for games?" Shadow called in excitement.

"Not me," Angel replied, apparently still not wanting to participate.

"Hey, I heard a volunteer!"

The boy looked alarmed. "No, I wasn't-" Shadow forced him out into the snow, ignoring his protests. Roxas followed slowly behind. When he came out, it was still dark. He looked up, noticing the stars were just beginning to wink out. _Shadow didn't waste any time, _he thought. His eyes locked onto a star, burning far above. _Thanks._

To his surprise, he received a response. _Beware the past, Roxas. There are many things there that are better left unstirred. _Startled, the golden-haired Nobody looked around wildly, searching for the source of the voice. No one was to be found. Eventually, he tried putting it out of his mind, deciding he must have been hearing things.

However, he couldn't quite get rid of the memory of the words, or the memory of the puppet without a heart. He was getting the feeling that had more behind it than it first appeared.

* * *

_So, that's the end of chapter ten. Reviews would be appreciated if you'd give them._


	11. Dark Guardian

_**Alright, so this is chapter eleven. Thanks to Mirai M. Mieux for reviewing last chapter!**_

**Chapter Eleven: Dark Guardian**

"I hate this," Lea growled to no one in particular.

Currently, the former Heartless was walking along a beach, arms crossed. The water lapped at his feet, and he sidled further away from the hungry waves. "Going through all sorts of worlds with no idea where that little Nobody's going to be? Sheesh, nothing more boring." He stopped for a moment, looking out at the expanse of water before him. "What was this place called again? Neverland?" He shook his head and began walking once more.

He didn't notice the shape that was slowly coming closer.

"What world is this?" he muttered waving his hands. "The fifth? No, wait…damn it, its only the second." His eyes flared with annoyance. "Why does this feel like it's taking so long?"

After a few moments, a strange noise reached his ears. He paused, listening closely to make sure he was correct. "A clock? Here?" He looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, save a few ripples in the shallows of the water. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling stupid. "I must be going crazy from all the boredom. Not real, Lea; _got it memorized?_" He shook his head, continuing on.

Slowly, the crocodile in the water followed behind.

~*~

Several snowball fights with Shadow, thanks to Santa, and pleas from Angel later, the three were hurtling through space in the Gummi ship once more. "Come on, there could have been something there!" Shadow informed the two of them.

Angel leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed. "Maybe, but I wasn't staying to find out."

"You had fun, I know it." Angel's eyes only narrowed more. She turned to Roxas. "You had fun, right?"

"Yeah," he responded, more focused on driving the Gummi ship than the conversation going on behind him.

For a while, silence reigned in the ship. Then, Shadow spoke up once more. "So, where are we going next?"

"Hopefully somewhere we don't need magic to blend into," Angel replied.

Roxas looked up ahead, scanning for a familiar world. Spotting one, he said, "Well, here's someplace we could go." Before either could respond, he maneuvered the ship towards the world, quickly diving into its atmosphere. He let it hover above the ground a few seconds before landing.

Shadow, not surprisingly, was the first to tumble out of the Gummi ship. She looked around curiously, eyes wide with excitement. "So, what's this place?"

"Neverland," Roxas replied, walking out of the ship behind her.

"You been here?" Roxas nodded.

Angel's voice resounded from behind him. "Well, maybe it will make it easier to find a way back."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Shadow immediately started forward. "Let's get searching."

"Hold on," Roxas said, stopping the enthusiastic girl in her tracks. "We don't even know what we're looking for."

"Um, well…" Shadow trailed off, looking at Angel for some kind of hint.

The metal haired boy narrowed his eyes in thought. "Actually, I'm not sure."

"So you were at Time Castle for, I don't know, forever, and you _still _don't know what to look for?" Shadow queried.

"They never but up a barricade before."

"Ok, then…I guess we're winging it."

Roxas shook his head, striding forward ahead of the two. "Come on, then, let's get searching."

~*~

"Gah!" Lea jumped back, watching the ticking crocodile nervously. "No biting!" he told it, backing further onto the semi-safety of land. The crocodile, undeterred, slunk out of the water and began to crawl towards him across the sand. He summoned his Chakrams, readying himself to ward off the crocodile. For a moment, the creature eyed the man warily.

Suddenly, Lea saw something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw a dark shape beginning to descend towards the horizon. _A Gummi ship, _he thought, a triumphant grin beginning to spread across his face. _That has to be them…doesn't it? _

His attention was returned to the task at hand when the crocodile nearly got a hold of his leg. "No! Back beast, back!" he cried, flinging a Chakram towards it. It grazed the skin of the animal, causing it to back away. Suddenly, as if the Chakram had down something to it, its eyes seemed to widen. It looked around wildly before turning back to the ocean and swimming away. "Yeah, you better run!" Lea called after it in triumph. Letting his weapons fading back into darkness, he turned and began heading off towards where the Gummi ship had landed.

Unfortunately, it had not been Lea that had been the source of the crocodile's fear. Bubbling just beneath the surface, something was rising, tainting the world of Neverland. Something dark.

And, unfortunately for Lea, once the ticking crocodile gets your scent, it never seems to back off.

~*~

"Is this it?" Shadow asked.

"Shadow…that's a rock," Roxas informed her.

"Ok, then is this it?"

"…That's also a rock."

Angel's eyes glimmered with frustration. "Why are you asking those questions. Obviously, they aren't the way to get back."

Shadow glared at him. "They could have disguised it!"

Roxas exhaled slowly, seeing where this was going and figuring he'd have to play the peacekeeper. "Does it matter?"

Both gave him curious looks. "What do you mean?" Shadow asked him.

"I don't think we're going to find the answer as a _thing,_" Roxas replied, silently hoping that he was right about his hunch.

Angel seemed to catch on immediately. "You think the only way we'll find a way back is by getting information from a Time Racer."

Shadow rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I guess that would make sense."

"You do realize, though, that we're more likely to run into Lea than a Time Racer?" Angel asked.

"Yeah," Roxas replied, "but he might know something, too." He tried not to think too much about confronting the Somebody of his best friend.

"So, I guess we know what we're looking for," Shadow said, immediately setting off down the beach.

"Well, isn't that funny," a voice said, once again stopping Shadow in her tracks. "I've been looking for you, and you've been looking for me."

Roxas glanced around, recognizing that voice. "Come out, Lea!" he snarled, Keyblade appearing in his hand.

"Oh, no problem," his voice mocked. Roxas heard the sound of something whistling through the air. Reacting on instinct, he whipped around and drew the Keyblade up to block the dark Chakram hurtling towards him. As the weapon ricocheted and landed in the sand, it sparked something in the back of his mind. _Did this…happen before? _he wondered, searching his mind for any sign of an event resembling this. However, if it had happened, he could find no trace of it in his mind.

"Not bad," Lea said, finally emerging from the shadows.

The three prepared themselves to confront him. Roxas's eyes narrowed, but it was Angel who spoke. "We have a few questions to ask you."

"Frankly, I don't give a damn," Lea replied, recalling his Chakram from where it was and bringing the other into view. "I just have to get you out of the way."

"You mean, like killing him?" Shadow asked, claw gauntlets pulled over her hands.

"Well, not exactly," Lea replied. "For some reason, Zylen doesn't want that."

_Doesn't want me dead, huh? _Roxas wondered, feeling slight confusion. Despite the questions that boiled in his mind because of these words, he chose instead to ask, "How do we get back to Time Castle?"

Lea smirked. "Fly in the Gummi ship, how else?"

"That's not what I meant."

Lea shook his head. "Sorry, but that information's classified." Before any of the others could respond, he shot his Chakrams towards them. Roxas ducked away, feeling the rush of the air as the large disk flew by. Roxas began to form a Blizzard spell, but paused momentarily as he watched Shadow and Angel warding off Lea. _Just shoot! _he hissed to himself. Shaking off any remnants of self-doubt, he fired the spell. It hit Lea in the stomach, driving the air out of the former Heartless.

Lea turned to look towards him. "So, the little Nobody fights back, eh?" He fired another Chakram his way. Roxas slid away, and, as a spark of inspiration hit him, reached out his Keyblade. He hitched the teeth of the blade into some of the tightly woven spaces of the Chakram. Using the weapon's momentum to his advantage, he spun around and flung the Chakram back at Lea. The red haired man was caught off guard, and the Chakram nearly embedded itself in his shoulder. Would have, in fact, if he hadn't ducked away.

Roxas decided to take this to his advantage. He ran forward, brandishing his Keyblade. Summoning back his errant Chakram, he pulled both up to block the attack.

"Roxas!" Shadow's voice resounded behind him.

The golden haired Nobody barely had a chance to respond. From behind, something wrapped itself around his waist. Surprise lanced through him, and he struggled to break free of its grasp. However, his efforts proved to be futile, leaving him to be towed up into the air. The three on the ground looked up at him, fear clouding their gaze. "What is that thing?" Shadow asked, alarm clear in her voice.

"I don't know," Angel replied, daggers ready, "but it doesn't look friendly."

Roxas felt the creature squeezing him. He groaned, feeling pain lance through his body and being reminded utterly of his battle against Riku. He whipped his Keyblade around as best he could with restricted arms, stabbing the blade back towards the creature. A rush of satisfaction ran through him as the blade sank into the body of the beast.

Satisfaction changed to fear as he was sent flying, thrown from the creatures grasp. Up in the air, he finally got to see the creature that had ignited the fear in the others. From the depths of the water, a dark shape had emerged, yellow Heartless eyes blazing. Jagged, scythe-like claws protruded from its hands, and massive fangs sprouted from its jaws. The darkness seemed to ooze from it, a toxic stream that could capture any warrior. Glancing around, Roxas thought he saw more, dark spots on the horizon.

And then his body hit water, and he was falling through darkness.

* * *

_Alright, that's the end of chapter eleven. If you want to vote in the Axel/Lea poll, that's still open. Oh, and reviews would be awesome, if you'd be willing!_


	12. Hearing Things

_Chapter twelve is now up. Thanks to Rainstorm-Mosspath, Mirai M. Mieux, Beth, TaylorTyper, Sora Tayuya, and Rain for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Twelve: Hearing Things**

Shadow couldn't help the spike of fear that pierced her as she stared up at the massive black monster that towered before them. She found herself anxiously adjusting her gauntlets and taking a few steps back. Its massive fanged blob - wait, was that its head? - whipped towards her at her sudden movement. Suddenly a claw lunged out towards her. Fearing what had happened to Roxas would happen to her, as well, she dashed to the side, slashing a poorly-aimed blow at the claw.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lea slinking away. "Hey!" she called.

Lea glanced at her. "What do you want?"

"You're just going to leave?"

He smirked, watching as she rolled away from another blow. "Zylen never said anything about fighting giant monsters. Besides, if I'm lucky, it'll take care of you for me."

"I could come after you," she responded, jumping back.

"Yeah, I doubt that," Lea replied, walking into a portal of his own making.

_Oh, right. The portals. _Even though she wasn't real fond of the guy, they could really use the help. She hoped that creepy-Zylen-dude got him back for it. She gave a yelp of surprise as the giant claw almost landed on her. She ducked away just in time, only to find herself bumping into Angel. "Hey!" he cried in alarm.

"Sorry," she said as he darted away, wing-like daggers poised for action. Looking up into the yellow-ish eyes of the monster, she thought to herself, _Think positive! Things will turn out alright! _Suddenly grinning at the thought of a challenge, she raced forward towards where Angel was warding off a claw with his daggers. Her grin broadening as an idea formed in her mind, she jumped up towards the monster's rising arm. She sunk the blades of one of her claw gauntlets into the black substance - there was no way that could be flesh - and felt a rush of satisfaction as the monster cried out in pain. Raising her other claw gauntlet, she dug it in further up, and, more and more energetically, climbed up the monster's arm.

Things were going fine, until the monster reached out a giant hand towards her. Her eyes widened as she looked up, and she tried to pull her claws free. It took too long, though, and suddenly she was in the monster's dark grasp, as both she and it fell towards the ground.

Darkness suddenly swirled all around her. She closed her eyes tightly shut, remembering something she'd always used to say; _If you close your eyes, the bad things will go away! _Unfortunately, in the deepest recesses of her heart, a voice was quietly telling her that would never work. She decided to ignore that voice, keeping her eyes tightly shut and thinking, _Everything's going to be fine! The heroes always win…right?_

Slowly, her consciousness began to slip away. _Geez, I hope wherever Roxas is, it's better than this. _Then she found herself falling into darkness.

Could it be?

Roxas flinched as a voice spoke, reverberating through his skull. The voice sounded familiar, though he couldn't place where he'd heard it before. _What do you mean? _he found himself asking silently in response.

…Have you returned at last?

_What? _Roxas wondered.

No, no, I guess not.

Finally, Roxas placed where he'd heard this particular voice before. _You spoke to me in Halloween Town, _he thought quietly to whatever was speaking to him. _Who are you? How do you know me?_

…All things will be revealed in time, Roxas. Unfortunately, though, time tends not to side with us.

Roxas didn't know what to say to this, so he remained silent. After a few moments, the voice spoke up again, this time delivering a more familiar message:

Beware the past, Roxas. There are many things there that are better left unstirred.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. The voice faded away, leaving Roxas alone in what appeared to be a large cavern. He closed his eyes again briefly for a few moments, listening to the sound of dripping water somewhere close by. Forcing himself into a sitting position, he opened his eyes again and thoroughly examined his surroundings. The cave seemed barren, except for a small stream of water pooling through a crack in the wall. Two dark passageways extended from the cavern in two separate directions.

_So, if I fell into the water, _he thought, staring at the holes in the walls, _and I'm not drowned yet, one of them must be my way back. _He stood up, walking towards one of the entryways. _I guess it's time to find out._

The dark monster withdrew slowly, resembling black glue as it slunk back into the ocean. Where it had once been, it left two unconscious teenagers lying on the beach.

It was in this state that the pirate Captain Hook and what remained of his crew found them. "C-c-captain!" Smee stuttered

"What is it, Smee?" the captain grumbled, glaring angrily at a treasure map caught on his hook.

"Look!"

"Did you find the treasure?" Captain Hook looked eagerly ahead, only to spot the two forms of Angel and Shadow. "What? Children?"

"They don't look to good, Captain," Smee said, walking up to the two.

"Hey, do you think they know where the treasure is?" one of the pirates asked from behind Hook.

Hook seemed intrigued by this idea. "Aye, they could, couldn't they? Well, then, I suggest we take them back to me ship for a few questions."

"Aye, aye!" the crew responded enthusiastically, racing up to grab the two.

As they did, a familiar ticking sound reached Hook's ears. The captain looked around frantically. "Smee! It's that horrid crocodile! He's come back!"

"Now, now, captain, we'll just get you back to the ship, and everything'll be fine," Smee assured him, guiding him away. Although, he couldn't resist the temptation to keep looking over his shoulder.

Roxas, after coming face to face with a roiling sea a few feet down, decided it'd be better if he took his chances with the other tunnel. _At least I know how I got in here, _he thought, briefly glancing back towards the previous tunnel. _Hopefully, I'll be out before high tide comes around again. _

It wasn't long before he found himself once again in the large cavern he had woken up in. He quickly angled towards the other tunnel, walking through it with only a brief hesitation. Inside the tunnel, it was dark, with the pale light that came from the tunnel mouth fading as he edged further along. Roxas felt his way along the walls wishing, not for the first time, that he could use his elemental power as a guide. Unfortunately, that had never been the case.

_Are you so sure, Roxas?_

That voice again. "Where are you?" he called into the darkness. Not to his surprise, he got no reply. "I must be hearing things," he muttered to himself, trudging onwards.

The words, however, lingered, no matter how far along the tunnel he went. Feeling frustrated at the lack of light, he decided, finally, to give it a go. He lifted his hand, focusing on the palm and trying to will light to appear. Not even a flicker appeared above it. Snorting with frustration, though not overly surprised, he gave up the attempt and continued to walk through the tunnel.

It wasn't long, however, before a light _did _catch his eye. And, as it would turn out, it was a familiar one, at that.

The first thing that reached Shadow's ears upon returning to consciousness were voices. She rapidly forced her eyes opened, trying immediately to find out what was going on.

Her first discovery sent a thrill of excitement through her. "A pirate ship!" she exclaimed, looking around the ship ecstatically. "And _real _pirates!" She immediately began fantasizing about adventures and the new places to see and explore.

Her second discovery, however, wasn't so pleasant. As she tried to get up to look around, she discovered, to her dismay, that she was tied to a pole. "Hey!" she cried in alarm, pulling at the ropes. "What's the big idea?"

She heard rustling on the other side of the pole. "Ow! Knock it off, Shadow, your pulling the rope too tight!"

"Angel?" she asked.

"Who else?" came the sardonic reply.

The pirates, apparently, noticed their current state. "Captain!" one called. "The prisoners are awake!"

"Prisoners?" Shadow queried, just as a man dressed in red with a hook for one hand appeared from an area of the ship she couldn't see.

"Well, you've returned, eh?" the pirate captain asked, looking at the two captured teens curiously.

"Who are you?" Shadow asked.

"Me name's Hook," the captain replied, "not that it matters to you." Shadow, giving up on any remaining hope that she'd be able to go on more adventures in this strange world, tried reaching for her gauntlets. To her dismay, she found them missing. Hook laughed at her. "You thought we'd leave you with a weapon, did you?"

"What do you want with us?" Angel asked him.

Hook peered at him closer. "Never seen a boy with metal hair before."

"It's not metal, and that's not an answer."

"What do you know of me treasure?"

Shadow's eyes widened. "You have _treasure_?"

"They are pirates," Angel muttered, but Shadow ignored him.

"No," Hook replied, growing angry, "and that's why you're here." He pulled out a treasure map, and shook it with his only remaining hand. "What did you do with me treasure?"

"What?" Shadow asked in surprise.

"We didn't take any treasure," Angel added in.

"You did, or else it wouldn't be missing!"

"Look, 'captain', we were being attacked by a giant monster thing, not stealing your treasure…whatever it is," Shadow informed him.

Hook narrowed his eyes suddenly. "You look a bit like someone who came here once, a long time ago."

Curiosity immediately pricked her. Behind her, she barely caught Angel's whisper, "The past just seems to keep seeping into the present, doesn't it?"

Then Hook was speaking again. "Hmm…Ventus? Aye, that was his name!"

Shadow's eyes widened in surprise. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a ticking noise. Captain Hook jumped, looking around with wide, fearful eyes. "Sm-Sm-Smee! That accursed crocodile followed me! He's come to get me other hand!"

A small, stout man came rushing towards him. "Now, now, Captain," Smee said, ushering him away, "I'm sure there's nothing to fear."

Shadow's mind, however, was not on the conversation of these two, but on Hook's words before. "Uncle Ven came here?"

_Are you sure you want to do this?_

In all truth, I have little control over whether this happens or not.

_So, I guess that leaves us on the same page._

No, not quite. You, unlike me, have the choice. So, are _you _sure you want to do this?

…_I'm sure. This is just something I have to do._

* * *

_There's the end of chapter twelve. Yes, the Axel/Lea poll is STILL open, if you want to vote. Review, please?_


	13. Anomaly

_**Alright, here's chapter 13. Thanks go out to Mirai M. Mieux, Rainstorm - Mosspath, KH_FLUTE, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter. Oh, and sorry for any confusion with the points of view switching. The breakers were in when I wrote the chapter, but for some reason, they didn't stay in when I uploaded it.**_

**Chapter Thirteen: Anomaly**

"Hey!" Roxas exclaimed as he approached the small light hovering in the tunnel. "Uh, Tinkerbelle, right? Why are you down here?" The light, which turned out to be a fairy, fluttered up to him and pointed one finger urgently down the tunnel. "Um, something that way?" Tinkerbelle nodded her ascent, flying swiftly down the tunnel. Roxas followed more slowly behind.

"Tink? Is that you?" a voice called from the darkness.

_Who's that? _Roxas wondered. For some reason, he felt like he should recognize the voice. And then, suddenly, the little fairy was in view, her light washing over a young boy all in green. _Wait, wasn't he from Sora's memories…? _

The boy looked at him in surprise. "Ven? Boy, it's been a long time since I've seen you!"

Roxas blinked in surprise. "No, I'm Roxas," he amended quickly, his mind unconsciously flitting back to the picture he'd seen of Shadow's uncle, his doppelganger.

"Really?" The other boy flew up to him, circling him a few times and making Roxas feel extremely subconscious. "Well, that's odd. Anyways, nice to meet you, Roxas! I'm Peter Pan!"

"Er, high," Roxas replied, still watching the boy circling him. After Peter Pan stopped circling him, he asked, "What are you and Tinkerbelle doing down here?"

Peter Pan seemed a bit surprised to learn that he knew the fairy's name. "You know him, Tink?" Tinkerbelle nodded vigorously. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to Roxas. "Well, me and the lost boys - oh, and Tink - kept seeing these strange shadows monsters that kept appearing out of the water. So, we decided to investigate every area of Neverland we could to find the source." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Say, what are _you _doing down here?"

"I was attacked by one of the shadow monsters," Roxas confessed quietly. "The water ended up washing me into the cave."

"Huh," Peter Pan murmured, rubbing his chin. "So, is that why you're all banged up?"

"Wha- oh," Roxas cut himself short, looking to his arms. Sure enough, the bandages were gone, leaving the gashes along his left arm and right hand visible for all eyes. "Uh, sure," he responded, not really wanting to explain that he didn't come from this world.

"Hey, do you want to help me and Tink look for the thing that's causing all the problems?" Peter Pan asked.

"Well, I have to find my friends…" Roxas replied, his voice drifting off. After a few moments of silent debate, he nodded. "But, sure."

"Great!" the other boy cried, turning around and heading off down the still dark tunnel. Tinkerbelle followed quickly behind, leaving Roxas to take up the rear.

The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, with only the faint light Tinkerbelle provided giving any view to their path of travel. Roxas found his mind wandering, thinking nervously about the dark creature that had attacked and what had happened to Angel and Shadow. He half expected the strange voice he'd been hearing to invade his thoughts once more and tell him not to worry. However, this time, everything was silent.

"Hey, Roxas?" The voice of Peter Pan startled the blond Nobody out of his thoughts. "You Ok?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied quietly, the irony of the situation filling him. Nobodies weren't supposed to feel, after all. Still, as before, he was still a 'special' Nobody. To take his mind off things, he asked, "Where does this tunnel lead?"

"Well, it goes down to a cave, then another tunnel leads back up to the surface. Captain Hook - he's a pirate with a hook for a hand - used to hide his treasure down here until we found it."

"We?"

"Oh, me and the Lost Boys." Roxas felt a prick of curiosity at who the Lost Boys were, but decided to remain silent.

It wasn't long after that that light shone from up ahead. Peter Pan came to an abrupt stop. "Well, that's weird."

"What?" Roxas asked, trying to peer around him and get a look at whatever was before them.

"That never used to be there before…"

~*~

"'Uncle' Ven?" Angel asked quietly after Shadow had uttered those words.

Shadow nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "What about it?"

For a few moments, Angel remained quiet, giving Shadow time to watch the pirates as they went about their business on the ship. Finally, he spoke up once more. "What's the story?"

"Huh?" Shadow asked, paying more attention to two men playing dice then her captured companion.

"About Ventus. You know, your uncle."

"Oh," Shadow replied. For once, she wasn't entirely sure how to respond. Slowly, she said, "Well, my mom doesn't talk about him that much…or even about her home world, for that matter. Every time I bring it up, she says, 'Oh, he was a great Keyblade wielder' and then just stops." Shadow shrugged within her bindings.

"You never actually met him?"

"No. I've seen pictures, though." She laughed quietly. "You know, when you guys crash landed on Cyrom, I think my mom almost had a heart attack!"

"Why?" Angel asked, seeming to lose some interest in the conversation.

"Because Roxas looks just like Ven." This seemed to be enough for Angel, for he fell into a brooding silence.

Shadow, however, couldn't stay quiet for long. "Hey!" she called out to one of the pirates walking by.

"What?" the pirate grumbled, glaring at her.

"I'm bored!"

"Oh, that's so terrible," the pirate replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes and walking away.

"Hey! Wait, don't leave." Her head fell. "I'll die of a boredom attack if I don't get out of here."

"Well, can't have that, now can we?" an unfamiliar voice responded.

Her head shot up immediately. "Who's there?"

"Nobody important," the voice responded. "Now, hold still. I'm going to get you guys out of here."

"Why?" came Angel's skeptical reply.

"Do I need a reason to do what's right?" At this, neither responded, both only listening to the sound of breaking rope. Finally, the ropes fell free around them. "There. Now hurry up and get out of here. It won't take long for them to notice you're free."

"Wait, who are you?" Shadow asked, standing up and whipping around to look for the voice's owner. However, whoever it was had already jumped into the waters around the ship.

"Hey!" a new voice exclaimed.

Both Shadow and Angel whipped around simultaneously to find that the pirates were now glaring at them. "Now what?" Shadow asked nervously.

"Swim," Angel replied. The two immediately dashed for the railing.

~*~

Peter Pan moved further into the room, allowing Roxas to follow. He quirked an eyebrow at what he saw. The cavern they'd entered was large and filled with light from an unknown light source. Water pooled in various areas around the cavern, reflecting the light's shine in an odd, crystalline way. For a moment, Roxas was entranced by the odd scenery.

Then he saw the oddity that Peter Pan had pointed out. A large sphere of darkness floated in midair in the center of the cavern. "What do you make of this, Tink?" he asked the fairy. Tinkerbelle flew up to the sphere and poked it experimentally with her finger. When nothing happened, she gave a shrug.

Roxas strode forward, examining the thing carefully. Tentatively, he reached out with a finger of his own and touched it. This time, the sphere quivered where it floated. "Hey!" Peter Pan exclaimed in surprise. "Why'd it do that?"

"I don't know," Roxas replied quietly, curiosity pricking him. Wondering slightly at a hunch, he called the Kingdom Key. The sphere quivered even more at the appearance of the Keyblade. Feeling sure of his hunch now, he drew his Keyblade down in an arc across the sphere.

The sphere's reaction was somewhat delayed. It turned slowly, stopping when an oddly formed face came into their view. After a few moments, the eyes snapped open, glowing amber in the cave. "What does that mean?" Peter Pan asked.

"Nothing good," Roxas responded. As if his words were the catalyst, the sphere changed rapidly into something more monster like. Long roots jutted down from the sphere into the ground, sending the sphere itself upward towards the ceiling. Long, claw-like appendages made of darkness sprouted from the sphere, reaching down until they touched the ground. The sphere itself remained relatively the same, except for the now blazing amber eyes and jagged teeth. Last came the Heartless symbol on its head, appearing in a blaze of darkness.

"Isn't that one of those Heartless that came here before?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied, getting into a fighting stance. _And, most likely, the cause of the problem, _he added silently.

Suddenly, the giant Heartless lunged a massive claw out towards them. Roxas and Peter Pan both jumped away, leaving the claw to crash onto empty ground. Roxas took this advantage to rush forwards towards the roots, swiping his Keyblade through them as he dashed by. A smirk traced his lips as the weapon cut cleanly through, leaving the remains of the spindly appendages to flail about in the air. The smirk fell, however, when he saw the broken roots reattach themselves to one another. Frustration filled him, and he turned his gaze to the sphere. _The head, then._

Suddenly, another massive claw came his way. He jumped back quickly, hoping to escape the blow. The claw only grazed him; however, that was enough to aggravate his old wounds. Surprised by the sudden burst of pain, he fell to one knee. _Damn it, _he growled to himself. He looked up at the massive head of the Heartless that now loomed above him. Trying to ignore the pain, he staggered to his feet. "I won't give in," he promised the creature through gritted teeth.

That's very brave of you, Roxas.

He was startled by the sound of the familiar voice that had so often now invaded his thoughts. _Who are you? _he asked, as he had before.

…But, maybe you need a little help.

"What?" he asked aloud. Light flashed suddenly before his vision, clouding his view of the Heartless. Then, as suddenly as it had come, it disappeared, and like when he fought the monster before, he was falling through darkness.

* * *

_There's the end of chapter thirteen. The Axel/Lea poll is nearing its end, so if you want to vote in it, you should do so soon! Reviews would be great, if you're willing._


	14. Sunrise

_**So, here's chapter fourteen. Thank you Yume Ninja, TaylorTyper, KH_FLUTE, Sora Tayuya, and CatchingForRain for reviewing last chapter!**_

**Chapter Fourteen: Sunrise**

"You know, sometimes when I say 'Don't jump, there's a crocodile', I _really _mean don't jump, there's a crocodile!"

"Shut it," Angel growled to Shadow, as he tried to hall himself back up over the railing. Below, the ticking crocodile was growling with frustration at his miss, swimming back and forth anxiously in the hopes that Angel would fall back into the water.

"You know, I'm not wrong _all _the time," Shadow informed him as she dodged around the blade of an angry pirate.

"Shadow, please just help me up and _stop reminding me!_"

"Fine," Shadow conceded to him. "Well, in a minute."

"Shadow!" Angel snapped as the brown-haired girl dashed off further down the deck in the quickly dimming light of the sunset.

"I'll be back in a minute!" she replied. _Now, if I were a pirate, where would I hide stolen weapons? _Grinning, she decided aloud, "Why not check the captain's quarters?" Immediately, she tried the door, relieved to find that it wasn't locked. She was even more relieved to find that Hook wasn't at home. "Hmm…" she murmured, glancing around the cabin. "Are they in his desk?" She checked quickly, but found nothing but treasure maps and the remains of treasure maps.

The next place she looked was the large chest in the corner. She grinned when she saw her claw gauntlets and their holders present, among other things. "I'll be taking these back, if you don't mind, Captain," she said cheerfully, pulling out the holders and fastening them back around her waist, fixing the gauntlets themselves onto her hands. As an afterthought, she picked up a pouch of munny, too, and stashed it in one of her pants' pockets.

"What are you doing in me cabin?" a voice resounded from behind her.

Startled, she whipped around to see Hook standing in the doorway. "Um…I wanted to help you find your treasure?"

"Nice try, missy, but I saw you stealing from me!" the captain snapped, pointed his hooked hand towards her. "No one steals from Captain Hook!"

Suddenly, the whole ship rocked. Startled, Shadow lashed out a hand, the claws of her gauntlets imbedding themselves in a wooden support beam. Hook, however, wasn't so lucky, and ended up crashing to the floor. "Smee!" he called, pushing his extravagant hat up off his face.

The portly man came running. "C-c-captain!" he cried, fear coloring his tone.

"What's going on, Smee?"

"Th-th-there's…th-there's a…"

"Spit it out, Smee!"

Suddenly, there was a sound like splintering wood. Shadow gasped with surprise when their end of the ship tipped down towards the ocean, happy now that her claw gauntlets were jammed into the wood. Hook and Smee found themselves scrabbling at various objects, trying to remain on the ship.

Then the roof of the cabin was torn off, and Shadow got a good look at what had done the damage. Her eyes widened in surprise. "It's that monster that attacked us before!" She looked down, back to the monster, and finally to her gauntlets. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the blades out. Her feet fell out from under her on the slanted floor, and she found herself quickly sliding towards the ocean below. She turned around so that she was on her stomach, digging her claw gauntlets into the wood. For a moment, she continued to slide down, until the blades slowed her to a stop. Quickly, she used them to force her way back up towards the monster.

"Hey, ugly!" she called when she got in jumping range of the creature. It's head-thing turned slowly, yellow eyes gleaming. She planted her feet on the floor, using them to push off towards the monster. Crossing her gauntlets in an X, she called, "Say good night!" She drew her gauntlets out as she flew towards the monster, effectively slicing part of its arm. She landed on the other side of the ship, using her gauntlets to keep from sliding down. Once she was secure, she turned her gaze back to the monster.

What she saw brought no comfort. The monster took one, brief look at the wound. Then, it seemed as if the dark flesh crawled back up the arm, stitching itself back onto the main body. "Damn it," she heard Angel growl. Looking around, Shadow saw him push away from the monster and land not far from her in the shadows of the night, using one of his sparrow-winged daggers to dig into the wood.

"Hey, you're not in the water again!" Shadow said with a cheeky grin when she saw him.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," he replied, pushing his still sopping wet hair out of his eyes with his free hand. He looked up to the monster, eyes narrowed in a glare. "How are we supposed to beat this thing?"

"Uh…we don't?"

"And I thought you were optimistic," Angel replied with a role of his eyes.

"Yeah, so what does that tell you?" The monster glared at them with narrowed eyes before lunging towards them with large claws. Shadow and Angel both detached themselves from the ship and jumped away at the same time. As she glanced at it, she couldn't help but wonder if there really was any way they could beat this thing. "Guess there's only one way to find out," she muttered. Taking a deep breath, she launched off a piece of splintered railing, bracing herself for a long night.

~*~

_This seems familiar, _Roxas thought as he fell through the darkness. Instinctively, he flipped over so that his feet were aimed downwards. When he landed on stained glass, he knew immediately where he'd experienced this. _In Twilight Town…with the Twilight Thorn. And, when I battled Sora. _Looking down, though, he realized that this place wasn't quite the same. The images on the stained glass were unfamiliar to him, their colors and shapes shifting every time he tried to get a good look at them, so that it appeared as if the glass he stood on was alive.

You'll be able to see it, one day.

Roxas lifted his head at the sound of the voice that was beginning to sound all-too-familiar. "Who are you?" he asked yet again. "Why did you bring me here?"

You went through an Awakening once. Now, you must be reawakened, to the powers that lie dormant inside you.

"Awakening…you mean, what happened in the virtual Twilight Town?"

Yes.

"What do you mean, dormant powers?" Roxas called.

Your powers of light.

He snorted in disbelief, lowering his head. "If you mean my Limit, I can already access that."

You used some light powers in your battle against Sora, didn't you?

Roxas's eyes widened in surprise. How could this strange voice have known that? He lifted his head, eyes narrowed as he scanned the area for any sign of the speaker.

Roxas, it is time to awaken your powers. They will not be able to stay with you for long, always retreating deeper inside you.

"What? My heart?" Roxas asked sarcastically, growing frustrated with this mysterious voice.

…No, Roxas, your soul.

At this, he had nothing to say.

Roxas, would you like to see what's happening to your friends?

"What do you mean?" the Nobody asked warily.

I'll show you.

Suddenly, Roxas felt as if the whole world was spinning. Could air rushed around him, raising goose bumps on his flesh. For a moment, everything was a blur. Then, the haze half-cleared, to reveal a dim vision. What Roxas saw, however, was enough. The dark monster that had attacked the trio before was standing tall amongst the splintered remains of a ship. Off in the distance, several other monsters hovered, but, for the moment, the one in the ship held his attention. Because, there, the forms of Shadow and Angel were battling a hopeless battle against it. "How do I help?" he asked, resigning himself to the fact that he'd have to listen to this voice.

Let your light guide you. Then, things will be clear.

Before Roxas could ask what the voice meant, he found himself spinning again. This time, when it stopped, only darkness surrounded the stained glass on which he stood. Suddenly, the glass underneath him broke, and he was once again falling through darkness.

~*~

Roxas's eyes snapped open. He was once more in the damp cave, with the large Heartless still rooted in the center. He noticed Peter Pan keeping the Heartless' attention, flying quickly back and forth so that it had little chance to retaliate.

Groaning, Roxas forced himself into a sitting position. Immediately, Tinkerbelle flew over to him. She pointed one finger frantically towards the Heartless. "I know, I have to fight," Roxas replied, forcing himself to stand. Tinkerbelle flew around him, sprinkling her dust over him. "Thanks," he told her, summoning his Keyblade. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, until he felt his feet lift off the ground.

He didn't reopen his eyes right away, however. Instead, his mind winged back to his return to the Station of Awakening and what he saw of Shadow and Angel fighting. _Let your light be your guide, _the voice had said. _But, what does it mean? _An answer seemed to spring to life in his mind. _Maybe…it has something to do with my friends. Like having the strength to help them._

Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. That's when he saw something he hadn't expected. Light flared around him for a few moments, before settling onto him. As the bright light faded, it revealed deep red armor that covered everything except his arms, head, hands, feet, and legs below the knees. The armor itself had grooves running along it, where light pulsated like the rays of the sun. Across his chest and winding around his back was a giant orange X made of metal. "It's like one of Sora's drives,"he murmured, looking at the armor. Then his gaze returned to the Heartless. Gripping the Keyblade tighter, he flew up towards its head.

The Heartless noticed his movement. It turned its head away from Peter Pan, its fanged mouth opening as it maneuvered its head towards him. "Look out!" Peter Pan cried.

"I know," Roxas replied, brandishing his Keyblade. He spiraled away from the massive jaws and flew near the head, slashing his Keyblade out towards it as he did. Unfortunately, the Heartless was able to move his head away quick enough to get little more than a scratch. It reached up a large hand in an attempt to crush him. He lashed the Keyblade out, letting it collide with its clawed hand.

What happened afterward caught him off guard. From where the Keyblade hit, a small shockwave of light spread out across the Heartless' hand. He pushed away as the Heartless roared in pain, looking to his Keyblade in surprise. "Wow! How'd you do that?" Peter Pan asked him.

"I don't know," Roxas muttered in reply, looking back towards the quickly recovering and now thoroughly pissed Heartless.

"Think you could do it again?"

Roxas nodded. "No problem." He dashed through the air towards the massive roaring head. The Heartless, glaring at him, raised a hand into the air, attempting to force him to the ground under it. When he dodged with ease, it tried the other hand, repeating the action several times as he continued to dodge. Finally, with an angry roar, it lifted both up, attempting to bring them down upon him. He was not quite as unaffected by this attack, the claws hitting him enough to force him down part of the way. He righted himself quickly, the pulsing lights in his armor flaring, and flew back up towards the head.

This time, when the claw came, he was ready. He struck out his Keyblade, feeling a sense of satisfaction as the shockwave spread out after its impact. The Heartless roared in pain, reeling back. Peter Pan took this opportunity to dash forward, using his dagger to cut along the arm, and, hopefully, hinder it more.

When the Heartless next tried to put its hand down, it seemed to be off balanced. By this time, Roxas was almost to the head. Glaring at him as best as a Heartless could, he opened its fanged jaws and tried to capture them inside. Roxas attacked with his Keyblade, a shockwave running across its head, causing it to be dazed for a moment.

"Is it dead?" Peter Pan asked, flying up near him.

"I don't think-" Roxas cut off as the head suddenly seemed to snap out of its daze, stretching out with jaws open. Before either could react, it had closed its jaws around them.

Inside the Heartless' mouth, the two remained hovering in the air, the damp darkness illuminated by Roxas's glowing armor. "Weird," Peter Pan muttered.

Suddenly, their captor surged upward. Knowing this was his best chance, Roxas cried, "Get ready!" Then he brought his Keyblade down as hard as he could. The shockwave flew out at impact, and suddenly the darkness was filled with light.

~*~

Shadow scrambled frantically away from the monster's claws, remembering what had happened before. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and blood trickled down from several gashes. Angel, too, jumped away from a claw, landing beside her. "This is hopeless," he growled.

"Well, at least it can't get any worse," Shadow replied with a shrug, before both had to jump away from a claw once more.

Suddenly, a cracking sound split the night air. Startled, both teens turned their gazes towards the sound. Not far in the distance, a strange creature was emerging from a large rock formation. Claws stretched from its head, and it appeared to have roots stretching down below it. "You had to say it," Angel growled sullenly.

Shadow narrowed her eyes, then widened them in surprise. "No, wait! Look!"

The head of the other creature suddenly seemed to burst open, light spilling out from it. It seemed to crumple in on itself, falling to the ground as darkness rolled up from its fading body, leaving two figures, one glowing faintly, floating in the air where it had once been.

As if the other creature's death - which Shadow had decided was Heartless from its dramatic death - was a catalyst, the monster they stood on disappeared, seemingly instantaneously. With a cry of surprise, Shadow found herself falling into the water below. Angel landed not far away. "Great," he muttered, swimming over to the broken planks.

"Well, at least the monster's gone," Shadow replied with a grin, swimming to the broken ship herself.

She heard a fearful cry from above. "S-Smee!" Hook cried. "Ventus is back, with that accused Peter Pan!"

"Hey, Roxas!" she called up to him.

The Nobody, along with some boy dressed in green, flew - wait, flew? - over where the two were pulling themselves out of the water. "What happened?" Angel asked.

"Just a Heartless," Roxas replied.

"Where'd you get armor?" Shadow asked. "It looks like a sunrise!"

"Sunrise, huh?" Roxas muttered, looking at the red armor adorning him. He seemed to drift off in thought.

Which, of course, left Shadow to notice something else. "Wait, where'd the crocodile go?"

~*~

Unknown to the others, Lea had watched the whole escapade from a hidden vantage point. Looking at Roxas's new form, he frowned. "Well, that's not good." He was about to go back to Time Castle, when he heard a familiar, annoying ticking. "Damn it, leave me alone!"

* * *

_That's the end of chapter fourteen. Just so everyone knows, this is the last chapter the Axel/Lea poll will be open! If you still want to vote, hurry. Reviews would be great._


	15. Plans

_**So, here's chapter fifteen. Sorry this is late, but couldn't convert the document for a while. The Axel/Lea poll is now officially closed, and thank you to all for voting! The results will be revealed…well, later, in the story. Thanks also go to talkstoangels77, KH_FLUTE, CatchingForRain, Sora Tayuya, rockinthisworld, YAJJ, and TaylorTyper for reviewing last chapter!**_

**Chapter Fifteen: Plans**

The sun slowly arose above the horizon, casting Neverland in its warm glow. Lying on the beach and letting the light wash over them were Roxas, Shadow, and Angel. Shadow yawned. "I'm tired."

"That's because we were up all night fighting," Angel replied dryly.

"Yeah, I guess," she replied, "but we would've been in big trouble if Roxas hadn't come."

"In case you hadn't realized, _I _was in big trouble," Roxas pointed out, eyes drooping.

"Until you got Sunrise form," Shadow retorted.

Roxas nodded his head against the sand, too tired to respond further. His new form itself had faded only a few moments before its name-sake appeared on the horizon.

The silence was broken by Shadow's voice. "Angel, why are you looking at your tattoo?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you were! I saw you!"

Roxas exhaled slowly. "You're rested enough to argue?"

"Yes," Shadow replied, glaring at Angel.

Angel sighed. "Well, _I'm _not," the metal-haired boy relented. "I was just thinking, that's all."

"About what? That you're 'No. 1'?"

"Not funny," Angel growled.

Shadow seemed to decide it was time to change the line of conversation. "Hey, Roxas, since we're all tired and haven't had anything to eat for a while, can we stay here for a day or two?"

Looking over, though, she saw the golden haired Nobody was already asleep. "I'm guessing that's a yes," Angel informed her.

~*~

Lea would've never thought seeing Time Castle again would make him so happy. But, after being chased by a ticking crocodile through Neverland, he decided that he'd much rather be here. He gave a sigh of relief, placing his hands on his knees. "Man, that was annoying."

"So you're back, Lea?" a female voice asked.

Lea narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Hilran?"

The Time Racer stepped out of the shadows before him. "Actually, I just happened to be passing by here, and saw you. I thought I'd be the first to welcome you back."

Lea snorted in disbelief. "Whatever. Hey, you know where Zylen is?"

"Not currently, no," Hilran informed him.

"Great," Lea responded dryly, standing erect once more to search out Zylen.

"You could just tell what you found out to me, and save yourself the trouble," Hilran added as he began to walk away.

Lea paused to briefly glance over his shoulder and reply, "Not on your life, bitch." Then he walked away, leaving a simmering Hilran in his place.

As he walked, however, he found his mind wandering back into the past. He couldn't help thinking how much Roxas looked like someone he'd once known. He'd met the kid with Isa, back when their hearts had both still resided in light. And yet…the kid had left a lasting impression. Ventus…what _had _happened to him?

He was no stranger to the Time Racer's mysterious power to view the past. Maybe he'd ask Zylen to show him once he found the Time Racer's leader. That being decided, he returned his mind to the task at hand and focused on finding the mysterious man.

~*~

Domian fell back against the stone wall in part of Time Castle's dungeon, a hand resting on his chest. In the cell opposite him, Sora was gripping the bars, trying to ignore the pain resistance had given him. "Why won't you obey?" Domian hissed through gritted teeth.

Sora, despite his current situation, found himself feeling very optimistic. "Maybe my heart's just stronger than yours," he informed the Time Racer.

"And yet I could control your friend," Domian replied, a thoughtful look entering his eyes.

"But since you can't control us all," Sora replied with a grin, "we still have a chance."

Domian's eyes narrowed. "Maybe it's simply easier to control a heart that's already been touched by the darkness," he muttered. He drew himself up, glaring at the Keyblade Master before him. "Why won't you even listen to what our plans are?"

"Didn't we already go through this before?" Sora asked.

"Several times," Riku added dryly from his cell.

Domian glared at him. "It's no matter; we'll find a way to get what we want out of you, soon enough."

"Not if Roxas gets back first," Kairi called.

Domian scowled at the Nobody's name. "Trust me, we're already working on a solution to that problem. A permanent one."

Sora flinched, wondering what they were planning to do to his Nobody. He also found himself wondering where he was, and if he'd found enough of a force to get them out of their cells. As Domian left, he grimaced and thought, _I hope he hurries back. If not, I get the feeling things will only get worse._

~*~

Coming back from the Realm of Darkness had not been pleasant for him.

It felt like his whole body was being ripped apart as his being - or lack-there-of - was thrown from the darkness back into the light. It was hard to cope with, truthfully, the light scalding a form that had long since faded back into the darkness. And, upon truly entering the Realm of Light once more, he'd sort of had a crash-landing, not at all helping the burning that ran under his skin. It had taken several minutes before he could even stand again. The pain had dimmed as time passed, but it had yet to truly fade, leaving him limping and having to stop to rest more often than he'd have liked.

This happened to be one of those times, as he leaned back against a rock and breathed deeply. He closed his eyes, mind winging back to the conversation he'd had with a voice that sounded eerily familiar as he'd been leaving the Realm of Darkness.

_Gah! Why does it hurt so much?_

You'd already faded to darkness. It's bound to be a rocky re-entry as you try to re-adjust to the Realm of Light.

_You never warned me it would be this bad!_

But, you would've done it anyway, wouldn't you?

_Yeah, but it would've been nice to have a heads up!_

It doesn't matter. You know what you have to do, don't you? It's why you're going back…

_No, _he hissed to himself, cutting off the memory. Pushing himself away from the rock, he headed onward. _Don't think about his words. They won't help you in _this _fight._ Even so, he found himself contemplating the voice's final words before he finally returned to the Realm of Light; words he was not yet ready to except.

It didn't matter, though. He had a goal to accomplish.

~*~

Xion sat on the stained glass platform of the Station of Awakening, her arms wrapped around her knees. She sighed, looking up, even though she knew she would see nothing above her. _Roxas,_ she thought, the memory of her friend stark and vivid in her mind. What she wouldn't give to be out there in the Realm of Light, fighting with him now, instead of being stuck here.

She heard the sound of someone walking towards her across the glass platform. "So you're back?" she asked, not even bothering to look. She already knew who it was.

"What, you thought it would take a long time?" a voice asked sarcastically.

"Not really," she admitted quietly. "He's always known what he needed to do."

"So, how'd your end go?" the second asked.

"Fine," Xion informed him, looking down.

"You know, I'm not as dumb as I look."

"That's probably a good thing," Xion retorted, eyes narrowed slightly.

"What's bothering you?" She didn't answer, instead tracing a finger along a pattern on the glass surface; a pattern Roxas had yet to see. "Is it your friend?" Xion bit her lip, and, involuntarily, clenched her fist. "Ah, so that's it."

"What if…what if he can't do it?" she asked.

"You know the answer to that as well as I do," her companion replied. "Besides, I don't think you give him enough credit. He just needs a bit more time to Awaken, that's all."

Xion sighed. "I know," she murmured. She saw the shadow of her companion pass over her, indicating that she would soon be alone once more. "Hang on…just a little bit longer…"

~*~

Lea found Zylen in his corridors. "Knock, knock," the former-Heartless said, inviting himself in.

"Lea," Zylen replied, giving a nod in his direction. "Did you find out anything?"

"Well," Lea began hesitantly, not sure how the Time Racer would take this, "Roxas kind of got this new form. Sunrise form, I guess he's calling it."

"Like his Somebody's drive forms," Zylen said, his eyes narrowing. He shook his head. "This could cause problems, if he can access it freely."

"If?" Lea responded skeptically.

Zylen nodded. "It's possible that he won't have the ability to access it at all times, if we're lucky."

"I don't see why you won't just let me kill the Nobody."

"I believe we might be able to persuade him to give me the information I need to get Sora to cooperate."

Lea snorted. "Oh yeah, we see how well _that's _working out. Come on, he may be a little bothered by fighting his best friend's Somebody, but that obviously isn't going to stop him."

Zylen smirked, darkness sparking in his eyes. "There are more ways to get him to speak." Lea quirked and eyebrow, silently asking him to continue. Noticing that he'd gotten the red-head's attention, he stood. "I found something very unusual one day when exploring time with a…former acquaintance."

"Care to show me?" Lea asked dryly.

"If you can take the passage through time." Before Lea could respond, Zylen grabbed his arm. Suddenly, the images of the world around them spun out of control, blowing away like dust until there was only darkness and an eerie chill around them. Then images flashed by, too quick to be viewed at a glance. Lea's eyes widened as they raced forward towards one image. It broke up like dust, at first, but quickly reassembled around them.

Lea found himself standing on top of a clock tower. He looked around in surprise, then down at himself. To his surprise, he found that his body appeared to have a sheen to it, as if not truly a part of the scene. "What happened?"

Zylen released his hold on his arm. "We've traveled back in time, in a sense. Know, though, that we can only view what has happened previously, not change the course of the past."

His eyes darkened, and a grimace crossed his face, causing Lea to wonder what he wasn't being told. Instead of pursuing the topic, however, he replied, "So, why are we here?"

"Look over there," Zylen replied, pointing to the edge of the clock tower. Three people sat on the ledge. Two, he recognized; one he'd never seen before. Zylen smirked. "The lose of memories cannot change the past. And, in this case, it could prove very useful to us." Zylen stared intently at the third figure, the one Lea didn't know, and uttered something that he almost didn't catch. "Xion…"

* * *

_Ok, that's the end of chapter fifteen. Feel free to review._


	16. Cerberus

_Ok, so here's chapter sixteen. Thank you Beth, caitlinkeitorin, Clarilune, TaylorTyper, Sora Tayuya, Saint Joan of the Roses, CatchingForRain, and Danni Lea for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Sixteen: Cerberus**

"Hold still!" Shadow hissed as she tried to wrap new bandages around Roxas's still healing wounds.

The golden haired Nobody didn't really feel inclined to listen. "We need to go," he replied for what seemed like the millionth time.

He tried to struggle away again, only to find Shadow forcibly wrapping the bandages around him. "Not until you two have clean bandages. Besides, you're the one who fell asleep."

"You should've woken me up," Roxas replied quietly. "We need to hurry to help Sora and the others."

"Yeah, well, you two need to heal, too."

Roxas shot a look to Angel that asked for help. The metal-haired boy simply laughed. "Hey, if _I _had to suffer through it, you do, too!" He pointed to the bandages that he was slowly but surely sneaking off of him as emphasis. Glowering, Roxas resigned himself to waiting for Shadow to finish her job.

Finally, the girl stepped back with a massive grin. "There! All done."

Roxas heaved a sigh of relief and pulled his black no-sleeve and white jacket back on. "Time to get going, then."

Shadow shot a glare at Angel. "Hey! Don't take those off!"

Angel looked up in surprise, the bandages already halfway off his body. "Fly, Roxas, fly!"

The Nobody was quick to agree, dashing to the control board and getting into the pilot's seat. As he started up the engine, he heard Shadow cry, "Oh, no! You aren't getting away that easily!" Laughing under his breath, Roxas engaged the engine and lifted off into the sky.

They were to the point of soaring through space when Shadow finally said. "There! You're fixed."

"And by fixed, you mean I've got several layers of bandages over almost _everything?_" came Angel's sardonic reply.

"You've only got one layer, and it's only over _most _of you. So…meh." Roxas smirked, knowing Shadow would be sticking her tongue out at Angel now, and the metal-haired boy would be rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"So, now where?" he asked, trying to divert their attention from what would probably be another argument.

"Oh, let's go there!" Shadow said ecstatically, running up beside his seat and pointing out the window. "Or…there!" She pointed to another world. "Or…maybe there!" Again, her finger changed position.

"Just pick!" Angel growled in annoyance, walking up to standing on Roxas's other side.

"Well, if you're so impatient, why don't you chose?" Shadow retorted.

"Fine," Angel replied. His brown eyes narrowed as he scanned the space. "There," he replied, pointing to another world that was familiar to Roxas.

"Olympus Coliseum," Roxas stated with a nod. He maneuvered the ship to face the world and began to fly forward. As Olympus Coliseum neared, however, Roxas felt a twinge of nervousness. _Last time I was here, as me, I was with the Organization. Well, I guess that's true with several worlds, but, this one…more people actually knew me. Do they still remember me, or…did everyone just forget after I went back into Sora? _He was forced to push these trouble thoughts aside as they entered the world's atmosphere, preparing to land. He brought the ship up to hover just above the ground before letting it fall gently into the dirt.

Shadow, of course, was the first to escape the confines of the ship. "Wow," she breathed, looking around.

"Yeah, never seen stone and sand before," Angel said sarcastically as he followed her out.

Roxas followed more slowly, eyes downcast as his mind was filled with a whirl of thought. "Hello, earth to Roxas, anybody there?" Shadow asked, penetrating his thoughts.

"What?" Roxas asked in surprise, looking up.

"Can we go into the coliseum?" she asked imploringly, pointing to the building.

"Uh, sure," Roxas replied with a nod, surprised that the energetic girl had asked permission. Shadow, with a broad grin, dashed off towards the coliseum. Angel, shaking his head and muttering under his breath, followed. _Regardless of what happens here, you have a mission. Not like the ones for the Organization, but one to help your other and his friends. _Thus prepared, he followed his companions into what many considered the world's main hub.

Roxas observed the rebuilding job performed on the coliseum with a small smile. It looked as good as new, almost like the Hydra had never torn it down in the first place. However, he did notice one thing out of place. "Wait a minute, where's Phil?"

Both Shadow and Angel turned to give him curious looks. "Phil?" Angel asked.

Roxas nodded. "He's a hero trainer who runs the tournaments here."

Shadow's eyes lit up. "Cool! Can I enter?"

"You'll need permission from Phil first," Roxas responded.

"Then let's find him!" Shadow cried.

Angel grabbed her arm with a sigh. "You know, you really shouldn't go rushing off in a world you haven't been to before."

Before Shadow had the chance to respond, a new voice sounded behind them. "Hey, what's going on?"

Roxas turned around, seeing the small form of Phil running towards them. "Hi," he said.

Phil's eyes widened in shock as he skidded to a halt. He rubbed his eyes, muttering, "I must be seeing things." The he looked back to Roxas. "Rookie, is that really you?"

_He remembers? _"Yeah," Roxas replied with a quick nod.

"Boy, I haven't seen you in ages. Where've you been? Hope you've been keeping up your training." As Roxas opened his mouth to reply, Phil quickly shook his head. "Nah, not important right now. Right now, I need to ask a big favor of you."

"Sure," Roxas replied, an eyebrow cocked in surprise.

Phil pointed back the way he had come. "You see, there's a real problem down in the Underworld. Cerberus's gotten loose, and I have only two words to say to that: Trouble. Herc ran down there to fight him, but got distracted when he found out that Cerberus was guarding Meg."

"Who's Herc?" Shadow asked curiously.

"What exactly happened?" Roxas added.

"No time to explain, just go!" Phil responded. As the three began to rush off, he added, "Oh, wait, Roxas!" He turned around to see Phil running up to him with something in his hand. Panting, he gave him the round object. "The Olympus stone. Figured you'd need it."

Roxas clenched the stone in his fist. "Thanks," he said, and the trio once again dashed off towards the Underworld.

As the began to the decent down, Shadow raised her voice in a complaint. "Nobody's answered my question yet!"

~*~

Kisue smirked as he watched the raging Cerberus from his vantage point high above the battle. "The mighty Hercules looks so helpless when he's trying more to make sure Meg doesn't get hurt."

"True. But why are you still here, Kisue? Didn't I tell you to return after you'd finished your mission?"

The metal-haired man's eyes went wide with surprise. "Zylen!" he cried, whipping around.

The leader of the Time Racers stepped out of the shadows, eyes dancing angrily. "Well? Are you just going to disobey orders?"

"N-no, of course not," Kisue responded immediately, fear sparking in his eyes.

"Then go." The Time Racer was quick to obey, enveloping himself in the time portal that would take him to a vision of the past, then back to Time Castle.

Zylen turned his own eyes to the battle. "Hercules, get out of here!" Meg cried.

"Not without you!" he responded. He tried to reach her, tied up on her high vantage point on Cerberus's back. However, he was once again forced away by the three-headed dog.

Zylen found himself smirking beneath the shadows of his hood. "The foolish things done for love." He shook his head and turned away from the scene. "But I shouldn't linger around here. After all, I have other business to attend to." With that, he let the time portal swarm up around him.

~*~

Roxas held the Olympus stone above their heads when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Its light rained down upon them, gifting them the power they needed to fight in the underworld. "So, now will you answer my question?" Shadow asked as Roxas slipped the stone into the pocket of his jacket.

"Herc, or Hercules, is Phil's champion," Roxas responded, beginning to head forward once more.

"So, who's Meg?"

"I…guess she's his girlfriend," Roxas responded, blue eyes scanning the terrain.

"So, Cerberus is…?"

"A giant three-headed dog that we need to find," Angel responded in frustration.

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Shadow responded with a shrug. "I mean, how many places can you hide that sort of thing?"

"He could be _anywhere _in the Underworld!" Angel snapped.

Roxas's head jerked to the side as he heard a commotion further along the passageway. "Actually, I think Shadow's right about this one."

"Hah," she responded as the three dashed off towards where the sounds of a fight could be heard.

It wasn't long before they came to a large, dimly-lit cavern with mist wreathing around the floor. Snarling before them stood Cerberus, his massive fangs bared in his anger. Standing in front of Cerberus was Hercules, looking up at something on Cerberus's back. "That's…Cerberus?" Shadow asked, sounding both scared and excited at the same time.

That's when Hercules noticed them. "Get out of here, all of you!" he called. "It's too dangerous!" One of Cerberus's heads lunged for him, and he was forced to turn back around to the fight.

"Come on," Roxas said, summoning the Kingdom Key. He dashed towards Cerberus, brandishing his blade for the fight.

* * *

_That's the end of chapter sixteen. What do you think? Reviews would be great, please!_


	17. Fighting the Watchdog

_**Alright, here's chapter seventeen. Thank you to Mirai M. Mieux, Flightfoot, Danni Lea, caitlinkeitorin, Clarilune, and CatchingForRain for reviewing last chapter! **_

**Chapter Seventeen: Fighting the Watchdog **

Roxas brought his Keyblade forward to strike Cerberus on the nearest head. Cerberus growled at him, two of the three heads focusing their attention on him, while the other still stared angrily at Hercules. The two mouths opened their jaws, lunging for him simultaneously. He dashed forward quickly between the descending heads, feeling the brush of their teeth as he ran past. He whipped around and saw Shadow had jumped up above the now low heads, her claw gauntlets coming down in an X across them. Angel, taking the distraction Shadow had provided, jumped onto one of the heads and ran up towards the three-headed dog's back, only to be shaken off soon after.

Hearing a furious snarling behind him, Roxas whipped around to see Hercules holding the open jaws of the remaining head away from his body. Hoping Shadow and Angel had the other two heads covered, he dashed forward to help Hercules. He swung his Keyblade up at the third head's throat when he came into range. The head yelped in surprise, jerking away. "Thanks," Hercules said, giving him a nod.

"No problem," Roxas informed him. He was forced to refocus on the head as it lunged for them again.

Hercules grabbed the head and threw it to the side as it neared him. "I can handle this head," he told the Nobody. "Go help your friends." He nodded to where Angel and Shadow were now jumping back and forth between the two heads, alternately striking at the advancing muzzles and jumping away, trying to get out of range.

He was startled when Cerberus started moving. The four dashed to the sides as the dog rampaged around the stone - enclosed area. Shadow and Angel rejoined them as they tried to avoid being stepped on. "That's Meg on his back?" Angel asked in confirmation.

"Yeah," Hercules replied. "If we could get her off, I could take care of Cerberus."

"Then let's try it!" Shadow exclaimed, dashing forward.

"Shadow, wait!" Roxas cried in alarm.

"Don't hold your breath," Angel muttered. Shadow, of course, was now oblivious to them, simply rushing forward towards Cerberus's back. Jumping for one of his hind legs, she reached out a claw gauntlet. As the blade sunk in, the massive canine let out and half howl, half roar of fury. He began spinning around in a frenzy, in the process knocking Shadow off and almost trampling her. Thankfully, she managed to dash away before that could happen.

"See?" Roxas asked as Cerberus turned enraged to them.

"Oops," Shadow replied with a slight shrug.

"Oops?" Angel growled at her angrily. That was the end of all talking, because Cerberus was now lunging for them with more fervor than before.

"We're having trouble," Shadow cried.

"Well thanks for stating the obvious!" Angel hissed.

Shadow ignored him. "Roxas, why don't you try going into Sunrise form?"

"What?" Roxas exclaimed in surprise. "Drives don't work in the Underworld."

Hercules punched one head, causing it to crash into the floor, and jumped onto its head to try running up its neck like Angel had tried. However, he was met with the two other heads, giving the third the time to recover and shake him off. Quickly regaining his feet and avoiding the lunging heads, he called, "It's worth a try!"

"I guess," Roxas murmured, striking at a head several time with his Keyblade before jumping out of range and letting Angel step forward to take his spot. Closing his eyes and hoping desperately Cerberus wouldn't try to attack him while he did it, he tried envisioning the blurred Station of Awakening. He thought of his friends, remembering what he had felt when he first went into Sunrise form. He felt its power, simmering somewhere inside his being, if it could be called that. However, when he tried to go into his form, it refused to listen. He frowned. This was different than Sora's drives before in the Underworld. With Sora, he'd noticed the power couldn't even be sensed down here. With him he could sense it, but couldn't turn into Sunrise.

"Roxas, look out!" Angel called.

Eyes snapping open, he saw one of Cerberus's heads lunging for him. He whipped the Kingdom Key across the heads muzzle quickly and jumped away. The fact that the ability was there but wouldn't respond for him disturbed him. Was there something wrong with it, or was it simply the location. Cerberus sent another head his way, and he was forced to avoid the massive jaws by rolling away, dashing in to strike the side of its head before jumping away again. Whatever the reason, now he had to focus on the fight.

"So, no drive," Angel stated, whipping his sparrow - winged daggers around to slice through the black skin on Cerberus's legs. "Now what?"

"Uh…your turn?" Shadow suggested, backpedaling away from one of Cerberus's paws as it tried to crush her.

Roxas's mind flashed back to when Angel had tried running up Cerberus's head, and again to when Hercules had tried. "I think I have an idea," he informed them.

Hercules punched the jaw of one head, forcing it upward. "What?" he called.

"What if we tried running up on of the heads, like you and Angel tried before? Only, this time, while one tries, the rest make sure the head stays unconscious."

"That…might work," Angel said slowly.

Suddenly, Cerberus began spitting balls of darkness towards them. None were quite quick enough to dodge those, at first. "Ow," Shadow muttered, though she wasn't stunned by the attack long enough to avoid some more shot at her. "Well, let's try it! It's all we've got right now."

"I'll go," Hercules said, his eyes shining with new determination as he looked up to where Meg was struggling against the ties that held her to Cerberus's back.

"Then let's do this!" Shadow cried, jumping forwards towards a head. The other three followed, swinging their chosen weapons simultaneously at the head. It fell and crashed into the floor, giving Hercules the time he needed to jump up. Shadow's eyes shone as he neared the back. "It's going to work!"

"Wait," Angel replied, pointing. The remaining two heads had lunged for him, forcing him to stop and ward them off.

"Aw, man," Shadow groaned, striking the stirring head with her claw gauntlets at the same instant Angel struck it with his daggers.

_He'll need help, _Roxas thought. He jumped onto the unconscious head himself, running up towards Hercules and the other two heads to the surprised cries of his companions. "Hercules!" he shouted. The hero looked behind him and, seeing Roxas coming, switched over to only one head, leaving Roxas some room to attack the other with a swing of his Keyblade. Roxas forced the head back, shouting at Hercules, "Go!"

"Thanks," Hercules said, punching the other head away before running the remaining way up the neck and onto Cerberus's back to Meg.

Unfortunately, that left Roxas with two heads to worry about. He swung his Keyblade at the heads, trying to force them back. Suddenly, he felt pain lance through his body. _No…not again…_he thought, grimacing as he fought away the pain his wounds still caused him. One of the heads lunged towards him again. He ducked away, but, unfortunately, lost his balance. He fell off the dog's neck, hitting the stone floor with a thud. More pain lanced up through him as he made contact. He kept his eyes closed for a few moments, teeth gritted as he inhaled deeply. Then he slowly opened his eyes and forced himself into a sitting position, and saw something that made him give a sigh of relief. Hercules was fighting Cerberus, slowly but surely driving the three-headed dog back into the depths of the Underworld.

"Why didn't he just do that before?" Shadow complained.

"He was afraid he'd hurt me," Meg, who obviously had been placed beside his friends while he hadn't been paying attention, replied. "Besides, he didn't want the dog to take me away."

"Aw," Shadow said, eyes shining. Angel rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, Hercules stumbled. Cerberus took full advantage of this, lunging his heads for him. Roxas narrowed his eyes. _It can't hurt to help, _he thought. Even though _drives _didn't work in the Underworld, his Limit did. He drew on that power now, allowing it to fill him as he dashed forward and swung his Keyblade at Cerberus's head. Hercules, now free to fight once more, continued to drive Cerberus back with the aid of Roxas's Limit. It wasn't until Roxas unleashed his Final Limit and Hercules threw an extremely powerful blow, however, that the watchdog finally turned tail and fled into the gaping jaws of the awaiting darkness.

The two walked back towards the others, with Roxas limping slightly behind the Coliseum's champion. "Come on; let's get out of here," Hercules said, walking towards the exit of the Underworld together with Meg.

"People will do some crazy things for love," Angel commented dryly.

"I think it's sweet!" Shadow replied. "Besides, don't either of you have someone you care about?"

Angel's brown eyes narrowed into slits, but he didn't speak. Roxas, though disturbed by the other teenage boy's reaction, couldn't help but think of Namine at her words. "You're blushing!" Shadow accused, pointing at him.

"What?" Roxas cried in alarm.

"Oh, you like someone!"

"N-no," Roxas replied awkwardly, trying to banish memories of Namine from his mind for the time being. "Nobody's can't feel emotions, remember?"

"Yeah, whatever, don't give me that crap," Shadow replied, waving his answer off. "And what about you, Angel?"

"No," he replied firmly.

"Come on, I saw your reaction before," the brown-haired girl pressed.

"Let it go, Shadow," Angel informed her, eyes darkening.

"Please? Just tell me. I'm dying of curiosity!"

He looked down, the faint light reflecting off his metal-like hair in an odd way. "She's dead." Silence reigned for a few moments before he lifted his head. "There? Happy now?"

He stalked away, leaving the surprised looking Shadow and Roxas to stare after him. "I'm…sorry," Shadow stammered. Slowly, the two companions followed behind him.

~*~

Zylen walked quietly through the corridors of Time Castle, his hood raised up over his head. Normally, he would not bother to cover his face in his own castle, but he had not informed anyone that he would be making a return to Time Castle just yet. He hated to return before he'd finished his mission, but he had to check on something. He'd been too busy with the Keybladers and Lea before, but he had to make sure that everything was still in place.

Unfortunately, it appeared he was not as well hidden as he believed. "Zylen?" a voice exclaimed in surprise. The leader of the Time Racers tried to ignore the comment, continuing to walk on until a hand landed on his shoulder.

He stopped but didn't bother to turn his head. "What do you want, Domian?" he asked, in no mood for this distraction.

"Why are you back so soon?" Domian asked, jumping right to the point.

"I just needed to see something."

"But…what about…?"

"Cerberus was defeated not long ago," Zylen informed him. "I watched the event. It will take a little while for them to recover enough." He pulled away from Domian's grip, walking forward once more. After a few hesitant seconds, Domian followed him. Seeing that he wasn't going to lose the other Time Racer just yet, he asked, "Has any progress been made with the Key Bearers?"

"No," Domian hissed, his anger showing in his voice.

Zylen's eyes narrowed as he thought about this. "Maybe I shall speak to them again after I deal with the Nobody."

"Good luck getting them to listen," Domian muttered.

"You doubt me?" Zylen asked, an edge to his voice.

"N-no!" Domian exclaimed, a small amount of fear creeping into his voice.

"Good," Zylen said. "Now leave." As Domian turned to leave, Zylen added, "Oh, don't tell any of the others I'm back. It would be unfortunate if they knew I'd returned before completing my objective."

"Of course," Domian replied nervously before dashing away.

Zylen snorted. "Back to business," he muttered to himself. He continued through the crumbling stone ramparts of Time Castle, the pale light of torches casting him in sharp shadows and sudden, blatant patches of light, almost reflecting him in an ethereal quality. Had his mind been focused on his surroundings, he might have admired these effects. However, his mind had only a single focus now; making sure that everything was still in place.

It was not much longer before he found the door he sought. Grabbing the key that hung around his neck, he used it to unlock the door and slip inside. The black blanket shrouding the room was suddenly lifted as the fading light from the hallway spilled in through the doorway. In the center, the Keyblade Sora had used to once again take his own heart had been replaced in its glowing sphere of darkness. "Such power, forgotten," Zylen hissed, walking forward to let his hands hover above the sphere. "But, soon, it will open the door." His eyes glinted with a dark light as the Keyblade inside seemed to pulse in response to his words while the dark man reveled in the power it exuded. "And then I will gain the power I seek."

~*~

Are you afraid?

_No._

…You're lying.

_Shut up._

There is no harm to being afraid.

_Yeah, well, if I'm afraid, then how will I be able to do this?_

Without fear, you cannot have courage.

_Great, more riddles._

Well, are you ready?

…_Yeah, I guess._

Then it's time…

He shook his head, dislodging the memory. The voice hadn't spoken to him since he'd returned to the Realm of Light. It didn't really matter, though. His task was pretty straight forward. He just hoped he had the strength - and the courage - to do it.

* * *

_That's the end of chapter seventeen. Reviews would be great!_


	18. Champions

_Ok, here's chapter eighteen. Thank you Sora Tayuya, Clarilune, Danni Lea, and CatchingforRain for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Eighteen: Champions **

Roxas and Shadow emerged from the depths of the Underworld to blinding sunlight. Roxas raised one hand to shade his eyes against the glare. When his eyes finally readjusted to the sunlight, he saw Hercules and Meg talking to Phil not far off. Shadow tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, is that Angel?" she asked, pointing to a figure standing in the shadows.

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "It looks like him," he responded. Shadow nodded, and the two headed off towards where the metal - haired boy stood.

They were stopped, however, by Phil. "Hey, rookie! I here you did good with Cerberus."

Roxas turned to look at him. "Yeah, I guess."

"What do you mean, 'you guess'?" Phil asked in exasperation. "Herc here told me all about it."

"You know him?" Hercules asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he was the rookie I was training that I thought was the guy you scouted."

"Oh," Hercules responded, giving him a curious look.

"Hey, Roxas, a new round of the Games is coming up tomorrow," Phil said. "I think it would be good for you to enter."

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course. The Games are good training, especially for a rookie," Phil responded.

"Do it," Angel's voice resounded from behind him. Surprise, Roxas turned his attention back to him as he stepped out of the shadows and headed through the dusty Coliseum. "May get some leads, if we're lucky."

"Hey, Angel!" Shadow called after him. Angel ignored her, simply walking back towards where their Gummi ship was parked. Frowning, Shadow crossed her arms. "Humph. Doesn't even let me apologize." She looked as if she felt bad about that, but shook it off. "But, anyways, we need somewhere to buy some food."

While Shadow asked Hercules, Meg, and Phil where the three of them could buy food, Roxas found himself drifting off into thought. _How did the girl Angel loved die? _he wondered. _And what exactly is his vendetta against the Time Racers? _His eyes narrowed slightly. _There's still so much about him that we don't know._

"Yo, earth to Roxas, can anybody hear me?" Shadow's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Oh," Roxas said, returning to reality. "Sorry, what?"

"Hercules said he'd show us where we could buy some food," Shadow responded.

"Ok," Roxas replied. Pushing his speculations aside, he followed behind Shadow and Hercules.

~*~

Zylen returned to the Coliseum as dusk settled over the world.His eyes scanned the empty seats and arena of the coliseum itself in the fading light of the sun. He narrowed his eyes. _Not a bad place for it, _he conceded silently, a small smirk crossing his face.

"Hey, you!" a voice called from behind him.

Zylen didn't bother to turn around. "Yes?"

"You're not supposed to be here right now!"

"Oh?" Zylen asked, not in the least bit concerned. "And why is that?"

"Because the Games don't start until tomorrow." He heard the other take a few cautious steps forward. "Dude, what's with your hair? It looks like it's made of metal or something."

Zylen ignored his question, instead asking one of his own; "Why are you here?"

He could almost here the man behind him puff up with pride as he spoke his next words. "That's because I'm the final opponent in the games."

"And how did you get such a role?" Zylen asked slowly.

"I ran through all the Heartless in the last Games and beat the champion!" the other replied.

"Intriguing," Zylen responded thoughtfully, and idea burning into his mind. "So, to become the final opponent and champion of the Games, all you have to do is beat the former champion, correct?"

"Yeah," the other replied warily.

Zylen snorted. "You don't seem like you'd even be worth the effort."

"What?" the other man exclaimed. "That was uncalled for! And you could at least turn around when I'm talking to you!"

Zylen snorted with amusement. "Are you sure you want that?"

"Yeah! I'm the toughest guy around!"

"Really? Well, we'll see about that." Before the other man had a chance to respond, Zylen summoned his long sword and spun around to face him. He lunged forward, just barely giving his opponent time to draw his own sword to parry the blow. His opponent jumped back a little ways before running forward, whipping his sword back and forth like a mad man. Zylen didn't bother to deflect these, instead using a portal through time to briefly teleport to the past, then back to the present in a different area of the arena. The other man just had time to turn around before Zylen was upon him. The Time Racer lashed his sword across the other's sword arm, causing him to drop his sword. Zylen raised his weapon up so that the tip rested on his opponent's throat. "So, by beating you, I am now the champion of the Games, correct?"

The other man's eyes were wide with fear and shock. "Yes," he murmured.

"Good," Zylen replied, sending his sword back to the dark depths from which it had once come and kicking his opponent down. "Now get out of here."

The other man scrambled up, yelling, "Save me!" on his way out of the coliseum.

Zylen sneered as he watched the man go. "Not even worth my time," he muttered. He turned around to once again examine the coliseum, now in full darkness. "Still, defeating him and gaining his position in the Games was useful." He smirked in the shadows, looking up to the stars shining above with grim satisfaction. "Roxas, you have no idea what's coming."

~*~

Roxas's eyes snapped open to sunlight filtering in through the windshield of the Gummi ship. Slowly he sat up, feeling the tug of the new bandages Shadow had forcibly applied to him the previous night. His eyes narrowed slightly. _Time to get ready for the Games, _he thought.

He glanced over to the forms of his two sleeping companions. Shadow rested in her usual area, while Angel had retreated into the shadows. The brown - haired girl had tried to apologize to him a second time when they'd returned to the Gummi ship with the food, only to find that he'd fallen asleep. As such, he had not been forced to wear new bandages, much to Shadow's chagrin.

Roxas dislodged the memories with a shake of his head, standing up and heading over to where they'd stashed their food, reaching in to pull out something for breakfast. _Bagel…that works, _he thought, pulling the food item from its containment. Turning back around, he saw that Angel had disappeared from his sleeping place. He frowned, wondering where the other boy had headed off to so quickly.

It wasn't long before Shadow woke up. "Morning!" she said cheerfully, rubbing sleep out of her eyes and springing up.

"Morning," Roxas replied as he finished his bagel, shaking his head at the wonderment of how she could be so energetic already.

"Where's Angel?" she asked, looking to where he had once been sleeping. Roxas could only shrug in reply. Crossing her arms, she muttered, "Dang it! I wanted to finish apologizing to him."

"He's probably not too far," Roxas replied.

"Yeah, probably," Shadow replied, nodding vigorously. "Come on, let's go!" She raced out of the Gummi ship, with Roxas following more slowly behind.

Roxas had been right when he'd said Angel hadn't been far. He was standing a few feet away from the Gummi ship, arms crossed as he looked into the sunrise. Naturally, though, since he was looking away from the Gummi ship, Shadow almost crashed into him. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed as she skidded by and ended up falling down in the dust.

"Sorry!" Shadow said quickly. Angel narrowed his eyes slightly, looking down. Roxas stood a little away from the two, watching. Shadow heaved a heavy sigh. "Listen, I'm sorry for bothering you about the whole love thing. I didn't know she died! I just wanted to know who she was, that was all. I never meant to hurt anyone, honest."

After a few moments, Angel heaved a sigh of his own. "I know."

"Wait, what?" Shadow exclaimed in surprise. "Couldn't you have just said that before?"

"Yeah," Angel said, "but I was still upset at the memory." Then he lifted his head and let a smirk cross his lips. "Besides, it was good revenge for the bandages."

"Hey!" Shadow cried, jumping to her feet. Roxas laughed a bit, grinning. Shadow may sometimes be annoying, hyper, and impulsive, but she wasn't really a mean person.

Of course, Roxas had to ask _her _the same question she'd posed now. "So, what about you Shadow? Is there anyone you like?"

"No crushes," Shadow responded immediately. Then a sly grin crossed her face. "But I have plenty of ideas about it."

"Do I want to know?" Angel asked.

Shadow obviously thought he did. "He'll probably do something really heroic, like save my life or something."

"You mean like we do daily?" Angel asked dryly.

"No, something _really _awesome!" Shadow responded eyes glowing. "Like, if I fell off a cliff or something, he'd jump after me and catch me."

"And then you'd both crash into the ground and die," Angel responded sardonically, shaking his head.

"No, he'd do something! I just…don't know what yet."

"You do realize that will probably never happen?"

"Yeah, but it's fun to think about." Then sly grin crossed her face. "By the way, you still need fresh bandages."

"Leaving," Angel responded quickly, turning tail and running away.

"Hey! Get back here!" Shadow shouted, racing after him.

Roxas laughed as he watched them go. "Hey, rookie!" a new voice called. He turned to see Phil and Hercules walking towards him. "You ready for the Games?"

"Of course," he responded quickly, though, inwardly, he wasn't quite as sure.

"That's what I like to hear!" Phil exclaimed. "Come on, then, let's get you into the coliseum."

As Roxas followed Phil and Hercules through the first set of doors, he heard the sound of footsteps behind them. "Hey! I want to compete, too!" Shadow called.

"You had any training?" Phil asked.

"Uh…no."

"Then, no." Roxas turned and saw Shadow's downcast face before Phil added, "Maybe next time, though."

The brown haired girl perked back up immediately. "Ok!" She grinned, giving Roxas a thumbs up. "Kick butt out there!" Roxas nodded, adding silently, _I'll try._

"Well? Let's go," Phil said, leading him through the second set of doors into the coliseum itself. "Ok, kid, I've got two words of advice for you in here; never back down."

"Got it," Roxas responded.

"Good luck, rookie," Phil informed him. He, Hercules, Shadow, and Angel, who had apparently snuck over while the others weren't looking, headed off to the stands. Roxas summoned his Keyblade, turning his attention to the dusty sunlit ring. Immediately, Heartless sprang up around the arena. He launched himself forward, the Kingdom Key cutting through the first Heartless it met. The others lunged forward in retaliation. The Games had begun.

* * *

_So, that's the end of chapter eighteen. What do you guys think? Reviews would be great!_


	19. The Games

_Alright, here's chapter nineteen. Thank you Danni Lea, Flightfoot, Clarilune, and caitlinkeitorin for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Nineteen: The Games**

A soldier Heartless lashed a claw out for Roxas as the Keyblader raced forward. He quickly brought his weapon up to hit the Heartless away. He dashed forward, stabbing his Keyblade forward so that it impaled the Heartless. Several more soldiers dashed up to avenge their fallen comrade, attacking Roxas simultaneously. Though he could deflect some of their blows, some still broke through his defenses. He grimaced, whipping around in a circle to slash through the range of soldiers. Some disintegrated into smoky darkness, leaving quickly fading traces of black blood behind. Others were simply pushed back, only to jump forward once more as he stilled his movement. As the remaining Heartless lunged for him, he rolled away, jumping back up quickly to lunge forward and cut his Keyblade swiftly through the Heartless.

Roxas straightened as the last Heartless faded away, bringing his Keyblade up to rest on his shoulder. "That was awesome!" Shadow cried from the stands.

"Not half bad, kid," Phil said in acknowledgment, "But that was only round one. It only gets tougher after this."

"I know," Roxas replied with a nod.

Phil grinned. "Then get ready for round two!"

Roxas whipped back around to face the arena once more, seeing more Heartless materialize before him. He narrowed his eyes. Though there were less Heartless this time, two air soldiers had combined their forces with the regular soldier Heartless.

The air soldiers were the first to attack. Roxas brought the Kingdom Key up to try and force them back. Though it managed to hit one, the other pushed through, slamming into his side. Caught off balance, he stumbled, giving his opponents an open chance to attack. The soldiers lunged forward, claws slashing at him before they jumped back. "Come on, Roxas!" Shadow cried from the stands.

"That all you got, rookie?" Phil asked. _No, _Roxas thought in response. Instead of speaking, however, he chose to lunge forward towards the grounded soldier Heartless. The Heartless jumped for him and, as he had in the previous round, he spun around in a circle, Keyblade both cutting through and forcing back the Heartless. The ones that didn't fade away on his circular strike, he jumped towards and finished off with a barrage of strikes.

Suddenly, he felt something come into contact with his back. He stumbled forward, feeling pain lance up his back. He whipped around, seeing the air soldiers coming in for another attack. Instead of trying to block them this time, he rolled away. The air soldiers ended up colliding with each other, falling to the ground as they did. Roxas took this opportunity to jump in and attack, bringing his Keyblade down upon the one closest to him. He got a few hits in before the other tried to attack him again, forcing him to raise his Keyblade to defend himself. As the one was forced back, the one below him lunged upward. He jerked backwards, the blow just missing him. He brought his Keyblade up towards the air soldier, the metal blade cutting through it and finally finishing it off.

The other air soldier was quick to jump in after its ally had vanished. This time, though, Roxas was ready. He swung his Keyblade at the Heartless, continuing forward as he knocked the Heartless further and further back. It wasn't long before that one, too, was defeated.

"I got two more words of advice for you, Roxas," Phil's voice called from the stands. Roxas turned to look his way just as he said, "Focus."

Roxas nodded acknowledgement. "Right."

Phil grinned. "Then let's go to round three."

Roxas got into a battle stance, expecting more Heartless to appear. He was surprised when lithe gray figures that were all-too familiar appeared instead. "Nobodies?" he exclaimed, blinking in surprise.

"Yeah, they just appeared one day," Phil responded. "Seemed like they would be good opponents for people to fight."

_No kidding, _Roxas thought as he looked at the dusks that waited before him. He guessed that, after the Organization had been defeated, they'd had nowhere to go and nothing to follow. Although, he was surprised they'd come here, instead of just staying in The World that Never Was. He couldn't help but wonder if they had gone to any other worlds besides this one.

He was forced back to reality when the dusks lunged for him. He swung his Keyblade in an upward arc, causing it to hit into several of the Nobodies at once. As they recovered and launched for him once more, he slid around behind them. They looked around, confused, before Roxas slammed his Keyblade into the back of their slender forms. They were thrown away, recovering in the same nimble fashion as always. They turned back around to face him. They seemed to hesitate a few moments before attacking him the next time, giving him the opportunity to launch his own offensive. He jumped forward, letting his Keyblade cut through them. They struggled a bit, but, for the most part, faded back to darkness as his Keyblade hit its mark.

He couldn't help but feel sort of bad for the dusks as they faded away under the assault of his Keyblade. He was a Nobody, just like them. He had just been lucky enough to have a Somebody with a strong enough heart to put him into Organization XIII, and to allow him to feel real, human emotions, instead of just faking. How easily their positions could have been reversed…

"Yo, Roxas, you Ok out there?" Phil called.

Roxas blinked, returning back to reality. "Y-yeah."

"Good, cause round four's coming up!"

Roxas whipped back around to face the center of the arena. This time, it was a combination of Heartless and Nobodies that appeared. The Nobodies were Demyx's old dancer Nobodies, while the Heartless were a combination of loud mouths and what looked like some kind of dragon Heartless. He brandished his Keyblade as the two dragon Heartless flew towards him. As he brought his Keyblade forward to strike them, however, they flew up above him, coming down in a dive towards him. Pain lanced through him as the attack hit. As the dragon Heartless flew away, the dancers came forward, very nearly grabbing him in their spinning attack. Roxas lunged forward through the space between the two Nobodies, quickly coming into contact with a loud mouth. He tried to take care of it quickly, before any of his other opponents decided to attack him once more.

As the loud mouth disappeared, he found himself once again facing the two dragon Heartless. This time he rolled away as they attacked, spinning in a circle with his Keyblade outstretched as he did. The blade hit the dancers and the remaining two loud mouths back. He jumped out of the spin and unleashed a barrage of blows on one of the loud mouths, defeating it quickly. He spun around, the Keyblade coming into contact with a dancer Nobody as it tried to attack him from behind. As the Nobody was forced back, he saw the final loud mouth jump into the air, getting ready to use its healing attack. _Oh no, you don't! _Roxas thought, jumping into the air to hit the loud mouth out of hit. He continued to strike it, forcing it further and further away from the others as he did so, until it was no more.

He turned around just in time to be caught in one of the dancer Nobody's spinning attacks. It grabbed him and, before he could pull away, gave him a powerful and painful toss. Unfortunately, where he landed was very near to one of the dragon Heartless. Acting on instinct, his hand shot up to grab a wing and pull himself up, dodging the snapping jaws of the Heartless. He found himself riding on the Heartless's back. The dragon-like creature screeched, flying higher into the air and performing intricate aerobatics to try and shake him off. He held on tight, fists clenched on the sinewy wings. When the Heartless finally paused in a horizontal position, Roxas relinquished his death grip. Instead, he gripped the hilt of his Keyblade and, pointing it downward, stabbed it through the Heartless. It let out a screech of pain as it began to fade away. Roxas took this opportunity to use it as a launching pad towards the other Heartless, managing to land a lucky hit by spearing the other in nearly the same manner before falling to the ground once more.

As the last Heartless faded, he whipped around to face the dancers. The two Nobodies curled towards him, malformed arms outstretched. He jumped to one side and jabbed his Keyblade out towards the nearest Nobody. He caught the dancer's arm with the gaps in the teeth of the blade. He used this to his advantage, using the combination of Keyblade and trapped Nobody to attack the remaining dancer. It was not long before both faded back to the darkness.

"Go Roxas!" Shadow cried from the stands. As Roxas turned to face them again, panting, he saw her jab an elbow into Angel's side. "Hey! You could say something!"

Angel rolled his eyes. "You do a good enough job for me."

Shadow looked as if she was about to say something else, but Phil cut her off. "Hey! Time for round five, rookie!" Roxas nodded, turning around as his next set of opponents materialized before him.

~*~

Zylen's eyes narrowed as he watched the Games from the shadows of his waiting area. He watched as Roxas cut through a string of Heartless, finishing by jumping up and giving an upward slash across an air soldier. "Nothing less to be expected from the Nobody of the Keyblade Master," he muttered as Roxas finished the round.

"Zylen," a voice said from behind him.

Zylen glanced behind him to see Hilran standing in the shadows. "What are you doing here, Hilran?" he asked in exasperation.

Hilran jerked her chin towards the Nobody who had moved on to the next round, saying, "I want to know why you're going to confront him in the Games, instead of just doing it out in the open."

Zylen smirked slightly. "This way no one can interfere."

"What? They can still jump down, you know!"

"Hilran," Zylen said sharply, causing the female Time Racer to immediately become silenced. Zylen slowly pulled a cubicle object into view. "I have ways of making sure they can't get in. All I needed were the boundaries."

"Will you take him back to Time Castle?" Hilran asked, seeming more hesitant now.

Zylen shook his head, once again hiding the object from view. "No. He's more likely to let some information loose while he still believes he has a chance of beating me." After a few moments of silence, Zylen waved his hand in a dismissing fashion. "You may go."

"Yes, of course," Hilran replied quickly.

As Hilran left through time to return to the castle, Zylen refocused his gaze on the battling Nobody, the smirk still spread across his face. _All the pieces are falling into place._

~*~

_I hate cannons, _Roxas thought as he dashed around the edges of the arena, trying to avoid the projectiles being shot from the little canon Heartless that had spawned this round. He skidded to a halt, quickly turning back around and lunging forward towards the final Heartless, gripping his Keyblade tightly with both hands. As he reached the Heartless, he brought his Keyblade forward, cutting clean through it. As the Heartless faded and the trapped heart floated up to the sky, Roxas allowed his tense muscles to relax. His breath coming in ragged gasps, he stood up straight once more and glanced towards the stands.

He saw Phil was nodding approvingly. "Not bad, kid. On to round nineteen."

Shadow, now lying sprawled across the stands, groaned. "How many rounds are there?" she moaned.

"Why are you complaining?" Angel asked, arms crossed across his chest as he leaned back against the seats behind him. "You're not the one fighting."

"But I'm bored!" Shadow whined.

"Relax, there's only this round and then he gets to face the champion," Phil responded. He looked back to Roxas. "You ready, Roxas?" As soon as Roxas nodded his assent, several Heartless sprang into life around the arena. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself forward once more.

His first attack sent some Neoshadows flying backwards. He whipped around to find his blade coming into contact with the large form of a snapper dog. The dog-like Heartless let out a shock-wave like bark, causing Roxas to fly backwards. _I've had enough of this, _he thought, pausing for a moment as he drew on the powers of his Limit. He shot out of his stationary position, Keyblade glowing as he rapidly chopped through the Heartless. As he unleashed his Final Limit, the four pillars of light flying out across the arena, most of the remaining Heartless were defeated. It was a short matter to finish the final ones off. He stuck the tip of his Keyblade into the ground and leaned against it, panting and relieved that his wounds hadn't bothered him for the entirety of the Games as of yet.

"Nice going, Roxas," Phil called from the stands, "but you've still got one more battle to go."

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the tip of the Keyblade out of the ground and got into a battle stance. "I'm ready," he panted in response.

"Good," Phil said, grinning. "Just two words of advice for you before you go into the Championship Battle; always keep trying."

"That's three words," Shadow informed him.

Phil ignored her. "Now, introducing the final opponent of the Games!" Phil pointed towards the gate at the far end of the arena, and Roxas narrowed his eyes, muscles tensed in preparation for the battle.

The seconds seemed to tick by slowly as no one appeared from the now-open gateway. "Uh…what's going on?" Shadow asked, sitting upright once more.

"Maybe he heard you were here and ran," Angel replied sarcastically.

A harsh laugh suddenly resonated throughout the arena, putting a halt to any conversation. "Who's there?" Roxas called, looking around wildly for his adversary.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me so quickly," a voice responded. Roxas felt a shiver run up his spine. It couldn't be, could it…? "Of course, it wouldn't be that surprising, considering you even forgot _her_?"

"What?" Roxas said in surprise. "What are you talking about."

That laugh once again echoed throughout the arena. "How could you forget about your fellow Keyblade wielder? The one who, too, deserted the Organization?" Roxas cocked and eyebrow in confusion. There hadn't been any other Keyblade wielders in Organization XIII. What was he talking about? "How could you forget about her, the best friend who sacrificed herself to save you?"

Roxas whipped around, trying to find the Time Racer he knew would be his final opponent. "Where are you?" he snapped.

When he once again faced the open gate, he saw tendrils of what looked like mist swirling up around a figure clad in blue, white, and gold, his white hair glinting like metal in the sun that blazed down upon the arena. The man, who Roxas knew could be none other than Zylen, looked up slowly, eyes glinting dangerously and a small smirk creasing his lips. "How could you forget Xion?"

* * *

_There's the end of chapter nineteen. Reviews would be great, please!_


	20. Zylen's Test

_Ok, so, here's chapter twenty. Thank you Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, surxi25, CatchingForRain, Clarilune, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Twenty: Zylen's Test**

"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked as Shadow narrowed her eyes as she looked down at the man who stood in the arena. He wore the same clothes that Kisue had when he'd come to Cyrom, indicating that he was a Time Racer. Seeing his metal-like hair, she couldn't help glancing at Angel. That's when she saw his expression. His eyes were narrowed, a deadly light blazing in their depths. His teeth were clenched tightly together, and his fists were balled up so tight she half expected to see blood trickling down from between his fingers. "Um, so…who's that?" she asked, unable to stave off her curiosity despite Angel's expression.

"Zylen," Angel hissed through his teeth, "leader of the Time Racers."

"The leader?" Shadow exclaimed in surprise. She returned her gaze to the white haired man, feeling surprise pulse through her. "Why'd he come here?"

"He wouldn't be here," Angel growled in reply, "unless he wanted something." Shadow watched him closely as he slowly brought something out into view. Suddenly Angel was on his feet. "No!" he cried, dashing down towards the arena.

"Hey, wait!" Shadow cried, jumping after him.

Zylen raised the cube he'd pulled out into the air. Energy poured from it, reaching around arena below the stands and forming glowing walls. These walls forced Angel to come to an abrupt halt. He skidded up to the wall, his hands keeping him from slamming against it. "Damn it," he hissed. "Zylen, you bastard, remove the barrier!"

"Dude, calm down," Shadow said. Angel removed his hands from the barrier and looked down, fists clenched. For a moment, it looked as if the boy was shrouded in a gray aura. She blinked rapidly a few times, and the image disappeared. Shaking her head, she added, "Roxas is really good. I bet he can take this guy alone."

Angel turned his head to look at her. "You don't know Zylen," Angel replied. "Exhausted as he is, Roxas doesn't stand much of a chance."

"I have a question; where's the _real _champion?" Phil asked.

Both teenagers turned to look at him in surprise. "He's not the real champion?" Phil shook his head. Shadow and Angel looked at each other nervously, then turned their gazes back to the arena. Whatever unfolded within the bounds of that barrier, they could only watch.

~*~

"Well, what do you think of my little barricade?" Zylen asked. "This way, no one can interfere."

Roxas, who had been looking outside the boundaries to where his friends stood, returned his gaze to the Time Racer before him. "What do you want?"

Zylen smirked slightly. "What makes you think I want anything?"

Roxas got into a battle stance, gripping his Keyblade tightly with both hands. "Why else would you be here?"

Zylen seemed unconcerned with him, turning and walking a little bit away as he spoke. "Maybe I just feel bad for Xion."

"Who's Xion?" Roxas snapped, already growing annoyed with the Time Racer.

"Your best friend, of course."

Roxas shook his head fiercely. "My best friend was Axel. I don't know anyone named Xion!"

"One, yes. But you had two, didn't you?"

_Yes-wait, no, _Roxas thought. He narrowed his eyes, trying to shake the thought out of his head. _This guy's just trying to mess with my head. _Zylen continued his pacing, slowly walking a circle around the Nobody like a predator about to strike. He smirked at Roxas before letting out a harsh laugh. "What's so funny?" Roxas snapped.

"How easily you forget someone so important to you. Maybe it's because you're a Nobody," Zylen taunted.

That did it. Roxas launched himself forward, Keyblade coming down towards the Time Racer's leader. However, just as the weapon was about to come into contact with his opponent, mist swirled up around Zylen. When the Keyblade came down, it slashed through empty air. Hearing a sound behind him, he whipped around, ready to strike with his Keyblade. As he brought the blade around to slash at Zylen once more, once again the mist swirled upwards, and once again the Keyblade whistled through empty space. He heard Zylen's movement once more, and once more he whipped around only to have his weapon cut through emptiness.

Zylen now stood some distance away, smirking in amusement. "How are you doing that?" Roxas asked warily.

"Time Racers can travel into the past and reappear in the present a few seconds later at any place," Zylen replied. "Hadn't Angel already told you that?"

Roxas nodded. "You can see the past, but you can't change it," he felt compelled to add, as a way of checking to make sure he'd understood correctly.

Zylen's eyes suddenly seemed to darken. "For now."

"What?" Roxas cried in surprise.

Zylen didn't answer him, instead using his time portal to teleport away. "How do you think I knew about Xion?" he asked. Roxas whipped around, catching a glimpse of the metal-haired man just before he teleported away once more. "I have access to all the secrets of the past." Roxas whipped part of the way around, once again just able to catch a glimpse of Zylen before he called his time portal up once more. "I know not only you're fighting style, but that of so many others."

Roxas once again whipped around. This time, Zylen remained in his place, his eyes challenging him to attack. Instead, Roxas replied, "You must have seen something wrong! I don't know anyone named Xion!"

"Are you so sure?" Zylen asked. Before Roxas could respond, Zylen was engulfed in a time portal, reappearing directly in front of him. Startled, Roxas paused a few moments before attacking. This time, the Time Racer didn't teleport away; instead, he summoned a long sword from a blaze of darkness, using it to block Roxas's strike. "The memories are there, Roxas," he hissed, malice glittering in the darkest depths of his eyes.

"I don't believe you," Roxas snapped in reply. Gritting his teeth, he began to force Zylen's blade back. With a final effort, he was able to send the Time Racer away. He lunged forward, blade out to stab through his opponent. However, as before, Zylen simply disappeared into the time portal, leaving the Kingdom Key to cut through empty air. Roxas suddenly felt something hit him from behind, sending him sprawling into the dust. He jumped back to his feet quickly and whipped around, seeing Zylen standing before him. "Face it; you can't beat me."

"You're wrong," Roxas hissed, though he himself wasn't so sure. _Normal attacks aren't going to work, _he thought. _I have to stop him from using the time portal to beat him. I beat Kisue by hitting him rapidly enough to stop him, but I used my Limit then. Maybe…I could use Sunrise…_ He tried reaching inside of him, searching for the power of his Drive form. He found it, but, as before in the Underworld, he couldn't draw the power out.

Suddenly, he felt another blow slam into him. Startled back to the present, he caught himself before falling as he stumbled backwards. "Can't reach your form, can you?" Zylen mocked.

Roxas, hoping that the Time Racer was growing overconfident, feinted forward before dipping away and coming at him from the side. Unfortunately, Zylen still had the sense to use the time portal to get away. Roxas whipped around quickly, his Keyblade coming up rapidly to collide with Zylen's stomach, forcing the surprised man backwards. "But I can still fight," Roxas responded, lunging forward as he did so. He hit Zylen a few times before he could recover, swinging his Keyblade in powerful blows so as to try and defeat him quickly. However, Roxas, still exhausted from his previous battles, had to jump back after a few blows. Panting, he looked to his opponent, hoping he'd stay down long enough for him to regain some of his breath.

Unfortunately, he didn't. A scowl now crossed Zylen's face as he regained his footing. "Clever," Zylen said, "but, I assure you, it won't happen again."

Roxas, taking a deep breath, lunged forward once more, aiming to impale the man with his Keyblade. Zylen, however, had recovered enough to use his time portal, leaving Roxas once again cutting through thin air. _This is getting really old, _Roxas thought as he whipped around quickly, hoping to catch Zylen off guard with the same tactic he had before. This time, however, Zylen once again used the time portal to escape. Roxas whipped around again, trying to get a pre-emptive strike in. Again, Zylen used the time portal to escape.

After a few more attempts at this strategy, Zylen all but disappeared. Panting, Roxas lifted his head and shouted, "Where are you? Come out!"

"If that's what you really want," Zylen's voice hissed. Startled, Roxas whipped around, trying to raise his Keyblade in time to ward off the blow he knew was coming. He wasn't quick enough, however, and Zylen hit him forcefully with the flat of his blade, knocking him onto his back upon the ground, the Kingdom Key landing with a dull thud beside him. As he tried to force himself back to his feet, he felt the pain of his injuries from the Gummi ship shoot through him. Groaning, he fell back, his teeth gritted as he hoped desperately for the pain to go away.

He suddenly felt a sharp prick just below his chin. Looking upward slowly, he saw Zylen standing above him, sword outstretched so that the tip rested on his neck. "It's over," he hissed. Roxas stretched a hand out for his Keyblade, even despite the ache of his injuries. Grabbing it, he tried to swing it up at his opponent. Zylen knocked it aside and sneered at him. "It's a pity you're more useful alive. It would be so simple to kill you."

Roxas narrowed his eyes in anger, but, deep down, he knew he was right. He lowered his head, closing his eyes. _That's it, then. I've failed. I wasn't strong enough to beat him._

Suddenly, his mind was filled with the vision of the cloudy Station of Awakening he'd visited when he'd first got Sunrise form. No, Roxas, the voice that had spoken to him on several occasions before replied, it's not over yet.

_Can you see what's happening? _he asked the voice silently. _I don't stand a chance against him._

You can't give up, Roxas. You have people counting on you.

_I know, _he thought in response, _but, what can I do? I can't even access Sunrise form._

You have not fully awakened yet, Roxas. You're light powers won't always come when you call.

"Then tell me!" Roxas called aloud. "What can I do?"

…Use the power that rests inside your soul, Roxas.

Roxas found the vision of the Station rapidly fading. As the vision faded away, he thought he could here the last traces of the voice, speaking once more:

Remember, you're never alone.

In reality, Roxas felt something materialize in his left hand. Instinctively, he gripped both this new object and the Keyblade tighter. Newfound determination being released in the form of a battle cry, he lunged upward. His eyes snapped open to see a surprised looking Zylen just before he was shrouded with light. As his Keyblade slammed into the Time Racer, the light faded, to reveal the armor of Sunrise form. Zylen, quickly regaining his feet, glared at him, beginning to summon his time portal. _Oh, no, you don't! _Roxas thought, launching an attack. Instead of attacking Zylen, however, he slammed the Kingdom Key into the ground. The light shock wave that was produced from it knocked him off his feet, effectively stopping the formation of the time portal.

Roxas didn't waste the opening. He lunged forward, Keyblade coming into contact with the man who was struggling to stand upright once more. Once again, he provided a barrage of strikes, shockwaves of light spreading out from each point of impact. A particularly powerful one sent Zylen flying. Roxas remained where he was, panting and waiting to see what his opponent's next move would be.

Zylen pushed himself up from the ground and onto his knees. Giving a harsh laugh, he said, "Well, it appears you aren't completely powerless after all." Zylen pushed himself up onto his feet, a smirk crossing his face. "Tell me, Nobody, do you want to know the secrets of your past?" Roxas narrowed his eyes, getting into a ready stance once more. Zylen, as before, didn't seem overly worried. "Very well. But if you ever change your mind, we could always organize once more." The mist of the time portal swirled up around him once more, leaving only his harsh laugh ringing around the arena before he left.

When the time portal fully dissipated, the barrier fell down, as well, leaving Shadow, Angel, Phil, and Hercules to run into the arena. "Where'd he go?" Shadow asked, looking around wildly and beginning to pull her claw gauntlets on.

"Probably back to Time Castle," Angel replied. Glancing at Roxas, he added, "You didn't really defeat him. He's much more powerful than he let on in your battle." Roxas nodded in response as he dismissed his Keyblade. Feeling the object that he still held in his left hand, it lifted it, uncurling his fingers to see what lay beneath.

In the palm of his hand rested a single seashell.

* * *

_Well, that's the end of chapter twenty. Reviews would be great, if you want to give them! _


	21. Trouble In Nottingham

_Alright, here's chapter twenty-one. Thank you Danni Lea, CatchingForRain, and caitlinkeitorin for reviewing last chapter._

**Chapter Twenty-one: Trouble in Nottingham**

As Sunrise form faded, Phil said, "Well, that may not have been the right person to fight, but seeing as the real champion isn't around, I'd say you have the title anyway."

"Thanks," Roxas said, managing a small smile and a nod. He closed his hand back around the seashell, lowering it. For some reason, it seemed personal, though he couldn't quite understand why.

"Well, come on," Shadow said, ushering him out of the arena, "let's get new bandages on you."

"Fine," Roxas relented, not quite willing to argue. He was exhausted from the tournament, anyway. As they returned to the Gummi ship and Shadow replaced his old bandages with new ones, he couldn't help thinking about the seashell still clenched in his hand. It seemed like…there was an important memory attached to it, but every time he tried to focus on that memory, it slipped away. It was as odd as his memory of how he'd first come to dual wield; even though everything seemed to be as it should be, it still tugged at his mind, as if something was wrong.

And that was how Roxas fell asleep that night, pondering what was going on around him.

~*~

The next morning, they said their goodbyes to Phil, Hercules, and Meg, then departed in the Gummi ship. "Where to now?" Shadow asked.

"Don't know," Roxas admitted, scanning the worlds.

"Oh, let's go there!" Shadow exclaimed, jumping up and pointing towards a world. "Or there!"

"Not this again," Angel groaned. "Can't you just decide?"

Shadow stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, where do _you _think we should go?" she asked him.

"Hmm…" Angel murmured, thinking for a bit. "Well, so far, it seems we've only gone to worlds at least one of us is familiar with. So, maybe if we need to find out more about how to get back to Time Castle, we should try an unfamiliar world."

"Sounds good to me," Roxas replied with a nod.

"Hey, do you guys know that one?" Shadow asked suddenly, pointing out the window at a world.

"No…" the two boys said slowly.

"Then let's go!" And before Roxas could stop her, Shadow had grabbed the wheel and was steering the Gummi ship towards the wheel.

"Wait!" Roxas exclaimed, trying to wrestle the wheel back from her. When he managed to, though, it was already too late to steer away from the world. He managed to pull them up before crash landing. Even so, though, the landing was rough, jarring all three of them.

When the Gummi ship had come to a halt, Angel sent a glare towards Shadow. "Think before you act," he told her.

"Oops," Shadow replied with a shrug. Then a huge grin split her face. "Since we're here now, we can go explore, right?"

"We'd better check the Gummi ship first," Roxas replied, unbuckling the seatbelt and heading out of the ship.

"Aw," Shadow moaned.

Roxas walked around the Gummi ship, checking for sings of damage. To his relief, there was very little on the outside, and though he didn't know overly much about Gummi ship maintenance, he hoped Shadow did. After all, her brother _had _been an expert on these type of things. "Shadow," Roxas called, "could you take a look at - Shadow?" That's when he realized the brown haired girl was no where in sight. Come to think of it, neither was Angel. Feeling a bit nervous, Roxas ran off into the forest they'd landed in.

"Shadow! Angel!" he hissed, not quite daring to raise his voice. If something had taken them, and they hadn't just run off, then he didn't want to attract anything's attention.

"Hey, Roxas!" Shadow's voice called loudly to his side.

Starting with surprise, he turned to where Shadow's voice had come from, seeing the girl walking towards him. Angel was following sullenly behind her. "You couldn't have waited?" he asked, exasperated.

She shrugged. "I was bored."

"And I didn't trust her on her own," Angel interjected, as if trying to prove that this hadn't been his idea.

"Well, did you learn anything about Gummi ships from your brother?" Roxas asked.

Shadow nodded vigorously. "Yeah, Yuruo taught me lots."

"Good, cause I need -"

"Get down!" Angel suddenly hissed.

"Why?" Shadow asked in surprise. Then she and Roxas saw the road, and the people walking down it. The two of them ducked down quickly beside Angel.

As the people came closer, they realized they weren't really people, but _animals_, walking on their hind legs and wearing clothes like humans, much like Donald, Goofy, and the king. "Well, that's weird," Shadow whispered.

"This is why you should think before you act," Angel hissed quietly. "If the whole world is filled with only animal people, we'll stick out like sore thumbs."

"Hey, I didn't know!" Shadow snapped in reply.

"Shhh!" Roxas hissed, eyeing the animal people as they neared.

When they passed the bushes the trio was hiding behind, he caught a snippet of their conversation. "That good for nothing Prince John is going to tax everything out of us," one said.

His companion nodded. "If King Richard never comes back, it'll be a sad day in Nottingham, indeed. Especially with that good for nothing Prince John now having those white things helping him out." _White things? _Roxas wondered, his mind winging back to Olympus Coliseum. Their voices faded into a contemplative silence as they strode away, leaving the trio to stand once more.

Angel immediately turned on Shadow. "Hurry up and fix that Gummi ship so we can get out of here!"

"What, no more exploring?" Shadow pouted.

"World travelers aren't supposed to disturb the balance of the worlds, and that means _blending in,_" Angel growled in reply.

"Shadow, do you have anymore of Merlin's magic left?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah, but it won't work since we already landed," Shadow replied. "Merlin told me."

Roxas exhaled slowly. "Then, come on, let's go fix the Gummi ship." The three turned around and headed back through the forest towards the ship.

Upon arriving, Shadow immediately went to reassess the damage. "Hmm…" she murmured, frowning as Roxas and Angel peered over her shoulders. "Well, for the most part, it's just scrapes, but…" And here she stood up, startling both boys, and went over towards where the Gummi ship's engine would lay. Forcing open a compartment and peering in, she said, "The engine's had a bit of damage."

"But can you fix it?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, but it might take a while," she replied with a small sigh.

"Great," Angel said in exasperation, throwing his hands into the air. "Just great. Anything else we should know?"

"Well, I might need some tools," she added.

"We're doomed," Angel groaned, banging his head against the side of the ship. "If we had masks or something, maybe, but-"

"Wait!" Shadow exclaimed, cutting him off. "That gives me an idea!" With that, she ran into the woods.

"What's she doing?" Roxas asked, watching as she rapidly ran around collecting things, occasionally disappearing from view.

"Who knows?" Angel replied.

Suddenly she dashed from the woods into the Gummi ship. A few moments later her head popped out of the doorway. "I need you guys to come here," she said.

"Why?" Angel asked.

"It's part of my plan to help us blend in!" she responded. Roxas and Angel looked at each other, shrugged, and followed her into the Gummi ship. "Sit," she said, pointing. The boys, still curious as to her plans, did as they were told. Grabbing the bandages, she said, "Now, close your eyes." More wary now, they closed their eyes shut.

Not moments later, Roxas felt bandages being wrapped around his head. "What are you doing?"

"Making a mask, like Angel said," Shadow replied, still wrapping the bandages. "I needed to see how big your guy's heads are before I could start."

"Who are you and what have you done with Shadow?" Angel asked.

"Shut up," Shadow said, though she didn't sound at all offended. After a few moments Shadow removed the bandages from Roxas's head and moved on to Angel's. Roxas watched silently as she began wrapping the bandages around Angel's head. When she got down to his nose, she stopped. Taking a pencil that Roxas hadn't even known they'd had, she traced lines around where Angel's eyes would be, before applying some substance that Roxas assumed was tree sap to the bandages. When she removed the bandages from Angel's head, they retained the same shape they had been in. Then she grabbed the rest of her supplies and started to work. Roxas, not wanting to interfere, left the Gummi ship without a word.

He sat down near the Gummi ship, looking out into the forest. What had he heard those animal people call this place? Nottingham? _Well, then, that's what I'll call it, too, _he decided as he stared into the depths of the shadowed forest.

He reached slowly into the pocket of his jacket, pulling the seashell from within. He held it in the palm of his hand, his thumb rubbing down its length once. _What does it mean? _he wondered. He knew without a doubt that the owner of the voice was the one who had given him the item. What he didn't know, though, was who the voice belonged to, or why its owner would give him a seashell. _So many questions, _his mind whispered as he closed his hand slowly around the seashell once more.

As day faded to the glow of twilight, he heard Shadow's triumphant cry of, "They're done!" Sticking the seashell back into his pocket, he got up and headed into the ship.

Upon entering, he saw Shadow proudly displaying three masks. "This one's for Roxas," she said, pointing to one that resembled a fox's head. "This one's Angel's." Now her finger switched to one that looked like the head of a raccoon. "And this one's mine!" And here she pointed to one that looked like the head of a cat.

"They're not half-bad," Roxas conceded to her, picking up the mask she'd labeled as his. The fox mask, obviously changed from the original mold, would only cover the top half of his face, with a strip of bandage reaching around back to strap it to his head. The coloring of the mask itself was mostly the same golden color as his hair, with a black "nose" on a portion of the mask that stuck out from the front like a muzzle.

"Yeah, but they aren't enough," Angel replied, picking up his gray and black raccoon mask. "You ever see and animal with just a head?"

"That's why I made these, too," Shadow replied, producing three tail-like things with bandages to use to tie them on.

The sight of those caused Angel to let out a bark of laughter. "Those, on the other hand, could use some work."

"Yeah, well…your face could use some work!"

"Great comeback," cam the sarcastic reply.

Roxas sighed. This stay in Nottingham would certainly be interesting.

~*~

Lea paced through the corridors of Time Castle, feeling slightly agitated. _Why'd he give me that information, _he wondered, _if he was just going to test the Nobody himself? _Lea shook his head, his pace quickening. _Why couldn't I have been the one to test him? _

In the end, Lea's steps brought him to the door of the very person who he'd hoped to see. Lea paused a moment, remembering all too well who he was about to question. Then he shook the doubts out of his head, pushing the doors open. "Zylen."

The leader of the Time Racers looked up from where he sat, in a chair pushed up to a sturdy-looking wooden desk. "What is it, Lea?" he asked, his fingers steepled as he looked at the former Heartless.

Lea got right to the point. "Why didn't you send me?"

Zylen seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. Narrowing his eyes, he replied, "The job, at that point, was not suited for you."

"Why not?" Lea asked, irritated. "Why give me information, and then just pretend that I don't exist?"

"You may be strong, Lea," Zylen said slowly, his tone edged with the hint of a threat, "but more than strength was required for the test. As for Xion, I thought you should know, in case the time ever comes when you need to utilize the information."

Lea's irritation had faded quickly. In the end, it had little to do with being stuck at Time Castle, and more to do with the fact that it felt like the Time Racers were simply using him. Which brought him to another matter; "So, is Xion just the bargaining chip in this little deal?"

Zylen smirked slightly, his eyes half lidded as he answered. "If Roxas becomes confused enough about his past, he may be able to be persuaded to trade information for information; and the information he gives us could be precisely what we need."

"And where am I in this plan of yours?" Lea asked, his eyes narrowed.

While Lea was trying to figure out his role in the Time Racers without past viewing powers, however, Zylen had other things on his mind. _This could prove interesting, _the leader of the Time Racers thought, eyes still half closed. _The first puppet who learned to move her own strings ignited a fire that helped to burn through the Organization. _He reached towards a drawer in the desk and opened it quickly, his hand soon skating over its contents. _If this one becomes unruly, there could be a similar result. I will not make the same mistakes Xemnas made. _His hand found what he was searching for. He pulled it out and shut the drawer, standing up slowly. He walked around his desk to stand by the window of his threshold, looking out into the darkness of night. _It's risky, but it may prove best in the long run. _He looked down to the item in his hand. It was a letter, with the king's emblem stamped onto the rolled up parchment. _Especially if that mouse they call a king starts probing as to why the Keybladers came to Time Castle._

Zylen folded his fingers around the paper, turning around slowly. "I have a story to tell you, Lea…"

* * *

_Alright, that's the end of chapter twenty-one. Feel free to tell me what you think!_


	22. Robin Hood

Here's chapter twenty-two! Thank you Flightfoot, Danni Lea, Clarilune, CatchingForRain, surxi25, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter!

_**Chapter Twenty - Two: Robin Hood**_

The next morning, Roxas was up long before the others. It was still dark out when the Nobody pushed himself up and walked out of the Gummi ship. A slight breeze ran through the clearing, playing around him as he looked up to the stars far above. Zylen's words came back to him, clear and insistent:_ The memories are there, Roxas. _He shook his head, trying to dislodge the memory. _He was just trying to mess with my head, _he told himself once more. And yet, he couldn't help feeling as if there were something wrong.

The breeze picked up suddenly, and, for a brief moment, the stars seemed to shine a little brighter. Roxas closed his eyes, and, immediately, his mind was filled with the vision of the still-hazy Station of Awakening. The words of the voice that had spoken to him echoed through his mind: _You have not fully awakened yet, Roxas. You're light powers won't always come when you call. _The words, however, brought back another memory; of the last conversation he'd had with Axel, after his battle with Sora: _So, you're finally awake, huh?…Nah, maybe you're going back to sleep._

The memory caused Roxas's eyes to snap open, the wind suddenly dying down as if on cue. Could those two lines be connected? _My light powers won't always come when I call…so, was the voice referring to Sunrise form? And, when Axel said that…did he know something I didn't? _Roxas lowered his gaze from the sky, feeling the prick of sadness. It was too late to ask his friend what he knew.

Something else, however, brought his mind out of the sadder memories of his past. A slip of paper, floating slowly towards him with the aid of the dying wind. As the breeze fully abated, Roxas reached out and grabbed the paper with on hand. He cocked an eyebrow before unfolding it to examine its contents. It wasn't much, only a few words apparently scrawled across the parchment in great haste;

_The gate can only be closed by entering and becoming the sacrifice, the noble only saved by the hands of time._

Confusion welled up inside him at the words. Despite their seeming insignificance, he could sense that there was some deeper meaning to words. So, slowly, he refolded the small slip of paper and slipped it into his pocket by the seashell.

The gray light of dawn was slowly streaking across the sky by this time, Nottingham slowly waking around him. Unless, of course, you counted Shadow. "Good morning, everyone!" Roxas heard her cry coming from the Gummi ship.

"Go away, Shadow," he heard Angel groan, and tried to stifle a laugh.

"Hey, where's Roxas?" Shadow's voice came again.

Shaking his head, he turned around and walked back into the Gummi ship. "Here," he said.

Shadow nodded, enthusiasm almost dripping off of her. "Then let's get ready!" she cried, grabbing her brown cat mask and slipping it on. Roxas walked over to where his fox mask and 'tail' lay, grabbing the mask and slipped it on before tying the bandage that would hold his tail on around his waist. Glancing over, he saw Angel hesitantly pull the raccoon mask on over his face before tying the tail around his waist. Shadow, as always, was out the door first.

The trio walked through the woods towards the path. "So, which way to town?" Shadow asked, looking down both sides of the path.

"That way," Roxas said, pointing in the direction the animal-people had gone the day before. Shadow quickly headed off in the direction he'd pointed, leaving her two companions to trail behind.

It wasn't long before Roxas saw the houses of a town up ahead, the towers of a castle rising above all. "This is crazy," Angel muttered.

"Ye of little faith," Shadow muttered. "Besides, it was your idea originally."

"I said 'maybe'," he responded as they entered the streets of the town. "I'd be amazed if anyone fell for-"

"Good morning," a small voice said, cutting him off. Roxas, surprised, looked down and saw a small rabbit standing before him, a stuffed toy held tightly in her arms.

"Um, hi," Roxas said, bending down.

The rabbit twitched her nose. "You guys look funny."

"We're not from around here," Roxas said quickly.

"Then where are you from?"

"We're from…uh…" Roxas trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Clearing Glen!" Shadow chirped up.

"Clearing Glen?" Angel hissed under his breath to her.

The young rabbit, however, seemed to accept this for an answer. "Mister, why is part of you fur shiny?" she asked Angel.

Angel's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Odd trait."

The rabbit's ear twitched, and looked as if she were about to ask another question, but a voice cut her off. "Who's this?" Roxas stood erect to see an older female rabbit approaching with a hoard of kids surrounding her.

The little rabbit looked to the older one. "Mommy, they're new here," she said.

"Yeah, but who are they?" asked one of the young rabbits, a male. He walked up and looked at them inquisitively.

"Be nice, Skippy," another young girl rabbit told him.

"I'm Roxas," Roxas said quickly, intending to stop any tension before it could form between these apparent siblings.

"And I'm Shadow!" the brown-haired girl added enthusiastically. Glancing to Angel, who had turned partially away, she added, "And mister anti-social here's Angel."

Angel ignored her jibe. Instead, he said, "Roxas, look over there." The Nobody glanced in the direction Angel's finger was pointing.

And that's when he realized his hunch when he'd first heard the animal people say white things had been right. Several dusks were swarming around houses, going in and out as they pleased. "What are _they _doing here?" Shadow exclaimed in surprise from behind him.

"Those…those _things,_" the mother rabbit growled, "are Prince John's henchmen. They and that Sheriff are always out collecting taxes for him." She narrowed her eyes as she looked ahead. "Speaking of whom."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite family," said a stocky looking wolf in elaborate clothing as he walked towards them, several Dusks swirling around at his heals.

"What do you want, Sheriff?" the mother asked.

"Now, what kind of welcoming is that? I just thought I'd see the newcomers, that's all." The Sheriff bent forward, examining them. "Well, you're a strange looking bunch, aren't you?" He returned to his former position. "By the way, it is time to collect the taxes."

"Oh, Sheriff, we're taxed enough as it is," the mother said imploringly.

"Now, now, I don't make the rules," the Sheriff said. "And if you can't pay, well, the whiteys here'll help you out." The Dusks swarmed forward, taking their cue.

What they didn't see coming was being intercepted by Roxas's Keyblade. The Nobodies flew backwards, regaining themselves a few feet away. The Sheriff narrowed his eyes at him. "You've got some nerve, kid."

"You shouldn't have them attack people," he said, his voice sounding quiet.

It was enough to carry to the Sheriff, all the same. "And why not? They just showed up here one day, all confused, until Prince John gave them something to do. You should see the ones he keeps for guards; real swift with their swords."

_Samurais, _Roxas thought, _my Nobodies…_ Shaking the thought out of his head, he turned his attention back to the Dusks, who were still hovering nearby. Tentatively, one slunk up towards him. He immediately got into a ready stance. Startled, the Dusk drew backwards. The Sheriff looked at them curiously. "Well, now, that's a bit different than what they usually do." He narrowed his eyes as he examined them. "Just who are you, anyways?"

The trio were saved from having to answer by a raggedy looking beggar, apparently blind, slowly making his way towards them, walking stick jutting out ahead of him to help guide him on his way. "Ohms, ohms for the poor," he was saying as he neared them.

"Oh, dear," the mother rabbit murmured, pity lacing her voice as she saw the blind man.

"Please, could you spare some change?" the beggar asked, stopping not far away from them.

"Well, now," the Sheriff said, "of course, good ol' Prince John is very generous." Roxas didn't like the sound to his words, and his suspicions were confirmed only moments later when, after dropping a coin in, it caused several more to fly out into his waiting hand.

"Hey!" Shadow exclaimed. "That wasn't very nice!"

"Well, the taxes don't have any exceptions," the Sheriff replied.

Roxas had had enough. Brandishing his Keyblade, he lunged forward, swiping it once towards the bulky sheriff. The force of his blow shoved him backwards, causing him to fall to the ground. "Get out of here," he hissed to him, still keeping a tight grip on his Keyblade.

The Sheriff glowered up at him from his place in the dirt. "You'll pay for that," the Sheriff growled to him.

"Seems to me," Angel interjected dryly, "that the citizens of Nottingham have been paying for it for a long time now."

"Why, you," the Sheriff growled, returning to his feet. The Dusks seemed to take his anger as their cue to attack, lunging forward towards the trio. Roxas quickly jumped forward, his Keyblade shoving back several with a single blow. The ones that escaped past him were quickly attacked by Shadow and Angel. The Dusks Roxas had forced back regained their positioning, slowly stalking forward towards him. He didn't give them the opportunity to make the first move. He lunged forward, the Kingdom Key landing a barrage of strikes that eventually caused the Nobodies to fade back into the darkness. Glancing back, he saw that both Shadow and Angel had finished off the Nobodies that had attacked them, as well, and were both facing the Sheriff once more.

The Sheriff, he noticed when he turned back around, did not look happy. It looked as if he were about to say something, but cut off abruptly and turned his head swiftly to the side. "What was that?"

Turning his head, too, Roxas aw several Heartless spawning before them. "Heartless," Angel growled. Glancing down at the Keyblade in his hand, Roxas couldn't help but wonder if he had been the one to attract them there.

The Sheriff, apparently, didn't seem to care. "Well, I guess I can let you off the hook this time," he muttered, before turning around and getting away from the scene.

"Get ready," Roxas hissed, brandishing his Keyblade in a fighting position.

As more Heartless continued to spawn, he heard Shadow murmur, "Wow, there are a lot. It's like Cyrom all over again."

"Maybe you could use some help," a new voice interjected.

Roxas's head shot up, immediately looking for the voice's owner. "Who's there?" he asked.

"I am," the voice replied. Finally locating the source of the voice, Roxas turned his head in that direction. There, where the blind beggar once stood, there was a fox dressed in green, a bow and quiver of arrows strung across his back. "I'm Robin Hood."

~*~

He was in Neverland.

He couldn't help but really wonder why. After all, this had been the place he'd found himself in when he first re-entered the realm of light. But, after freeing those two kids Captain Hook took captive, he'd decided to avoid the attack of the dark guardians and explore other worlds. And now he was back, looking for clues on his mission.

He hadn't expected it to be easy. That was too much to hope for. No, he'd known it'd be hard to succeed. The biggest clue he got was seeing the ticking crocodile swimming through the waters near the shore. Shaking his head, he continued to walk on. "Man, should've known this'd be more difficult." Looking up to the sky, he called, "Come on, at least give me a hint. I'm high and dry here."

The last words the voice had spoken to him in the Realm of Darkness came back to his mind:

_It doesn't matter. You know what you have to do, don't you? It's why you're going back…_

"Stop it," he growled to himself, trying to block out the words. "Don't think about them." Some part of him asked how bad could it be, really? Did it even matter? Yet still, he tried to prevent the words from returning, their dire meaning only reminding him of the inevitable.

He just had to keep going. There was no other path left to him.

* * *

_Alright, that's the end of chapter twenty-two. Reviews would be great, please!_


	23. Rob The Rich

_Chapter twenty-three is now up! Thank you Flightfoot, Clarilune, Luna Holly Shaeffer, caitlinkeitorin, Sora Tayuya, and CatchingForRain for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Twenty - Three: Rob the Rich**

"Robin Hood?" Shadow asked. She glanced over at Roxas and Angel. "I should probably know this name, shouldn't I?"

Roxas didn't answer, partly because he didn't know the name himself, and partly because a bird-like Heartless had just swooped out of the sky and started attacking him. He brought the Keyblade up to make contact with the body of the Heartless, causing it to fly a little bit away. Taking his opening, he dashed forward, swinging his Keyblade across its body in powerful strokes. It soon fell, defeated, sending spirals of darkness towards the sky.

He soon found himself being attacked by two Bad Dog Heartless. He was just preparing himself to attack when suddenly one of the Heartless was speared with an arrow. It let out a yelp before fading back to darkness, small specks of black blood falling to the ground and fading from existence. Roxas knocked the other back before glancing behind him to see Robin Hood, another arrow already whizzing away from his bow. Then more Heartless launched themselves toward him, and he was forced to focus on the fight once more.

He spun around in a circle, Keyblade out to hit the various Heartless trying to surround him. After completing the circle, he quickly flipped his grip to a reverse grip, slashing upward across a string of Heartless. He flipped his grip back to normal, bringing it down across the remaining and letting the momentum of his swing turn him partially around so that he was facing the other Heartless who had tried to surround him. He turned the Kingdom Key so that the blade pointed directly outward, lunging forward to impale several Heartless at once, at the same time forcing others to retreat, which put them in perfect range for both Shadow's claw gauntlets and Angel's twin daggers. Robin Hood, obviously, had no specific range, simply shooting arrows and various Heartless though the town.

For a moment, the Heartless seemed to abate. "That was fun!" Shadow cried.

Angel sent a glare her way. "Define fun."

Roxas, however, didn't release his tight grip on the Keyblade. It felt…almost as if they had left too suddenly for it to be over. Apparently, Robin Hood felt the same. "Do we really know they're gone?" he asked.

"Of course!" Shadow cried, as if it should be obvious. "They-" she suddenly stopped short. Shadows snaked across the ground, traveling quickly towards the group. "Never mind."

Then the Heartless sprang out of the ground, ready to attack. Seeing the Neoshadows, Roxas felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine. The Heartless lunged for him, and he immediately launched a counterattack. He brought the Keyblade up to strike one as it came near, quickly forcing it back. He lunged into the mass, brandishing his Keyblade.

As he fought off the Neoshadows, he found himself mentally transported to a battle that seemed an eternity ago, under Memory Skyscraper. He could almost feel the rain pounding down around him, running off his black cloak instead of soaking through. He kicked out a foot as a Neoshadows jumped towards him, using it to spin partly around and slash through more Heartless, landing in a steady position. In his mind, instead of the streets and houses of Nottingham, he saw the dreary city of The World that Never Was, Neoshadows continuously springing from the ground to attack him. He remembered back to that day, when for, whatever reason, he had known he had to free Kingdom Hearts. He was so caught up in that memory that he forgot that, for the moment, he could only wield a single Keyblade.

Trying to use a Keyblade that wasn't there to block a Heartless was enough to snap him back to reality. He let out a cry that was more of surprise than pain as the Neoshadow's claws slashed through skin, leaving wounds that would never bleed. Gritting his teeth and silently chastising himself for his stupidity, he swung upward catching two other Neoshadows that had launched themselves through the air towards him. As the flew back, he dashed forward, swinging his Keyblade in an arc as he did so. The force of the blow was enough to cause the remaining Neoshadows that surrounded him to fade back to darkness, leaving nothing but the quickly-fading traces of their black blood behind.

Panting, Roxas remained in the position he'd ended in a few more moments before he stood upright once more. Looking around, he saw Robin had gone to retrieve his arrows, while Angel dismissed his daggers back to wherever it was they had come from. Grinning, Shadow slipped off her claw gauntlets and placed them in their holders. "So, what next?" she asked.

"Tools, maybe?" Angel suggested.

"Oh, yeah," Shadow said, "I forgot about that." Groaning, Angel slapped a hand to his masked face.

"What do you need tools for?" Robin Hood asked as he came back from retrieving his arrows.

"Shadow here broke something," Angel replied sardonically.

"Meh," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

Robin frowned, thoughtful. "Well, I don't think you'll be getting those tools too soon."

"Why not?" Roxas asked.

"You attacked the Sheriff," Robin informed him. "That means you'll be considered outlaws."

"Hey, welcome to the club!" a new voice interjected. Surprised - he'd thought everyone else had left when the Heartless attacked - he glanced around and saw a bear, dressed in green like Robin, coming from the forest.

"Little John!" Robin said as way of greeting.

"Little?" Angel hissed in a skeptical whisper. Shadow and Roxas both shrugged in response.

"So, who are these guys?" Little John asked.

"They're newcomers," Robin replied. He paused before adding to them. "I don't think I got your names yet."

"I'm Shadow!" Shadow exclaimed immediately. "And that's Roxas, and that's Angel," she added, pointing to each in turn.

"So, you attacked ol' Bushel Britches, huh?" he asked.

"Roxas did," Shadow corrected him.

Roxas shrugged, looking down. "I just thought it was wrong, what he was doing."

"Say," Little John said, "sounds like you'd fit in good with us, eh, Robin?"

"Yes," Robin Hood agreed.

Angel cocked an eyebrow. "Where's this going?"

"You don't know?" Robin asked.

"We're new," Roxas said by way of explaining.

Little John laughed. "Robin here's got something of a reputation around here."

Before anyone could ask more questions, Robin added, "You see, the king of Nottingham, King Richard, is out fighting, leaving his brother Prince John in charge. He's been increasing the taxes, hurting the other citizens of Nottingham. And with the Sheriff and those white things helping him, most can't do anything to stop him."

"Is that where you come in?" Shadow asked.

Robin nodded. "Right. You see, we rob from the rich, like Prince John, and give the money to the poor."

"Rob the rich," Roxas muttered under his breath.

"Can we help?" Shadow asked almost immediately.

"Stealing?" Angel asked skeptically. "Isn't that, I don't know, _wrong_?"

"Yeah, but what Prince John's doing is wrong, too," Shadow informed him. "Besides, we're basically outlaws, anyway." She glanced back at Robin and Little John. "Right?"

"Can't see how you wouldn't be," Robin replied.

"See?" she asked Angel.

"Whatever," he replied. "I'll come along, but I'm not going to steal."

"Hey, we might want to get out of here before Bushel Britches comes back," Little John said.

"Right," Robin agreed. He looked to them. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," Shadow replied, racing after them. Angel followed more slowly, muttering under his breath.

Roxas had begun to follow when a voice like an echo of the past suddenly invaded his thoughts:

_You are both my best friends. Never forget, that's the truth._

Roxas, startled, looked around, half expecting someone to be standing there. However, no one was there, except for Shadow, who'd come back, calling, "Roxas, are you coming?"

"Y-yeah," he stammered. As Shadow raced back off into the trees, he couldn't help looking over his shoulder again. That voice had sounded so familiar, so much like…the one that guided him. But it couldn't be, could it? Why would that voice tell him something like that? He slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling the slip of paper brush his skin but fingering the seashell beside it. _I never really forgot, _a voice whispered in the back of his mind. He blinked, surprised at the thought. _Where did that come from? _he wondered. Shaking his head, he thought, _That voice is really starting to mess with my head. _With that final thought, he headed off into the forest.

~*~

Xion found herself pacing back and forth across the stained glass floor of the Station of Awakening. "Calm down," her companion told her tiredly. "You're going to wear a hole in that thing and fall through, and _then _where would you be?"

"I can't help it," she murmured, still pacing. "I'm worried."

"Don't be," the other replied. "He knows what he needs to do, deep down. Give him some time, he'll figure it out."

She stopped, turning her head to glare at her companion. "This is different for me than you. While one of my best friends is out trying to help people, I'm stuck here. All I can do is watch, and try to speak to him, hoping he'll figure it out." She fell to the floor, feeling frustrated. "I just…feel so helpless."

There was a pause before her companion spoke up again. "I'm stuck here too, you know."

"Not confined to one Station," she replied quietly.

"No, that's true. But I can only watch as people struggle on their own, too. And I do know what it's like to be unable to help your friends."

Xion closed her eyes, hugging her knees against her chest. She thought back to how she got there, how, instead of fusing back with Sora, she'd ended up in some strange desert area that had the feel of a graveyard. There, she had met a suit of armor, or rather, a soul _inside _a suit of armor. It was that armor who'd opened the portal here for her, so that she had somewhere to go where she wouldn't fade completely. Now she felt much as she had then; helpless. She'd wanted to protect her friends, and the armor's soul had asked her to protect his, as well. She wasn't sure how well she was doing.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself and opening her eyes. Regardless of what happened, she knew she had to try. If that one soul had shown her anything, it had proven that nothing is set in stone. Slowly, she stood back up. "Why've you been here so long, anyway?" she asked.

Her companion faked hurt. "What, you don't like me company?"

Even though the voice was teasing, she still felt a little bad. "That's not what I meant," she replied hurriedly. "You just used to travel between the Stations a lot more."

Her companion shrugged. "Yeah, well, he'd back in the Realm of Light now. He doesn't need my guidance anymore; he knows what to do." There was a pause before words were added; "They both do."

"And the note?" she asked. "I didn't send it."

"Neither did I. We just have to hope for the best, and hope whoever sent Roxas that note is on our side."

Xion nodded. "Yeah." She looked down to the stained glass floor, and to the three figures etched upon its surface…

* * *

_That's the end of chapter twenty-three. What do you think? Reviews are always welcome. _


	24. Unmasked

_Alright, chapter twenty - four is up. Thank you Flightfoot, Danni Lea, caitlinkeitorin, Sora Tayuya, and surxi25 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Twenty - Four: Unmasked**

Shadow, being Shadow, couldn't help but get overly excited about things. "So, what do we do? Do we go looking for people? Or do we just wait for them to come?" she asked, bouncing around them excitedly.

Little John laughed. "Well, usually it isn't hard to run into someone who's got more than they need."

Shadow nodded vigorously. "So, sort of both."

Her excitement of the situation, however, didn't spill over to her two companions. Angel was still sullen about the whole turn of events, and Roxas's mind was continuously shifting between the paper, the seashell, the voice, and the Time Racers. More than anything, he decided, they needed a way to track where the Time Racers were. If they could do that, they wouldn't have to go world hopping looking for clues; they could just go to the world they knew the Time Racers were at, instead of guessing. But finding that way, if there even was one, wasn't going to be easy.

"Yo, earth to Roxas, anybody home?" Shadow's voice broke his train of thought and returned him to reality.

"Sorry," he replied, shaking his head to try and clear it.

Shadow didn't seem at all phased by the fact that he hadn't been paying attention. Her eyes were glowing as she crowed, "Tomorrow, we get to go to town again! We're going to help people!"

"Hmm," Angel replied. "So, when you guys get your asses thrown in jail, I can just sit back and laugh, right?"

"It'd be nice if you'd bail us out," Shadow huffed.

"I _might _bail one of you out." He walked a little distance away before calling over his shoulder, "Might."

"Hey!" Shadow cried, charging after him. He obviously heard her coming, and side stepped without even bothering the glance back, leaving her to run past him, trip over a root, and crash on the forest floor.

"Nice landing," Angel informed her with a smirk as he walked on ahead. Shadow, not at all put off, jumped back to her feet. Roxas just shook his head, a small smile on his lips as he watched.

"They'll need to be quieter tomorrow," Robin stated. "I have to give them credit, though. They seem to be sticking to their morals."

"Roxas, come on!" Shadow called back to him. "You and Angel's bandages need to be changed!"

"Guess it's time to go," he informed Robin Hood and Little John.

Both nodded. "See ya 'round, kid," Little John said, before both disappeared into the forest.

When he headed forward again, he noticed Angel had taken 'time to go' as 'time to disappear.' "Why does he always do that?" Shadow asked as they returned to the clearing they'd crashed in. Roxas shrugged, his mind drifting again and his hand straying into the pocket where the seashell and paper lay. "You're really quiet today," Shadow commented.

Roxas pulled his hand back out of his pocket, trying not to think too much about the mysteries surrounding him. "Aren't I always?" he questioned.

"Well, there's a reason to be nervous in itself," came Angel's voice, though Roxas couldn't tell exactly from where.

Shadow, for once, seemed to be in agreement. "It's always the quiet ones," she said with a grin. Before Roxas could respond, Shadow whipped around, calling, "Hah! Now I know you're near by, Angel!"

"Good luck finding me," he responded.

"Come on! Get you're butt out here!"

"Hell no."

"Language!"

"Shut up!"

Roxas couldn't help but laugh. Though their fighting sometimes got on his nerves, at least it was something that was - to an extent - normal. Taking a deep breath, he tried to push thoughts of Time Racers and voices to the back of his mind. For now, it may be better if he just stuck to the present. He'd eventually return to the troubles of time, but not yet.

~*~

Not surprisingly, Shadow was the first up the next morning. "Wake up, guys!" she chirped.

Groaning, Roxas closed his eyes tighter. "Go away, Shadow," he mumbled.

The brown haired girl obviously wasn't giving up. "Come _on_," she said. A few moments later, Roxas heard her footsteps leave the Gummi ship. He was beginning to think she'd just decided to leave without them when he heard her footsteps return.

And suddenly there was water falling onto his face. Spluttering, he sat upright. "Hey, you're awake!" Shadow said with a cheeky grin, a half-filled bucket of water still held in her hand. This water she proceeded to poor onto Angel's head, who, like Roxas, sat up abruptly. "This means we can get going," she said cheerfully.

"It's not even light out," Angel growled, trying to shake the water off him and failing.

"So?" Shadow asked. "I don't know when Robin and Little John will be ready."

Roxas made an attempt at drying himself off. Failing that, he decided to just put his mask and tail on and hope the water would evaporate soon. Angel and Shadow did the same before the trio headed out of the Gummi ship. Together, they walked through the forest, searching for any signs of their bandit friends.

"So," Angel began, breaking the silence of the approaching dawn, "did either of you get where they were going to meet us?"

"Outskirts of town," Shadow replied immediately. Roxas angled his course in that general direction, his two companions following swiftly behind. When they arrived, all was quiet, the pale gray light of dawn just beginning to paint the sky. The three sat down in the bushes, nothing else to do but wait.

They didn't have to wait long. "Well, didn't expect to see you here so early," Robin's voice said from the wilderness.

"Shadow was excited," Angel replied dryly. Pointing to his still sopping-wet head, he added, "Which explains we two of us are wet."

Shadow didn't seem to be at all regretful. "So, what do we do now?" she asked.

"Prince John is watching a tournament in the town today," Robin Hood replied. "That's where it'll be easiest to get him."

"Cool," Shadow replied.

Robin paused before adding, "Roxas, this is a sword fighting tournament. I was wondering if you'd be willing to be the one to participate in it."

Roxas blinked in surprise. "Me?" he asked.

Robin Hood nodded. "You'll need a disguise, though." _I've got one, _he thought, but remained silent. Instead, he took the second mask that Robin produced, this one that of a wolf, along with the long gray cloak. Roxas, not knowing what else to do with Robin Hood and Little John there, slipped it on over his fox one, pulling the long gray cloak on around him and pulling the hood up to hide the blond spikes of his hair.

Shadow started laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked, the weight of the two masks making him feel slightly uncomfortable.

"You!" she said, pointing at the masks. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he ducked his head down.

"Just be prepared; he's got those white things with him all the time." He turned to Angel and Shadow. "Right, since Angel said he wasn't helping, I'll be helping you out with stealing the money, Shadow." When Shadow nodded her consent, he turned to Roxas and said, "You and Little John are the distractions. Keep him focused on you while we get the money." Roxas nodded, before Robin led Shadow and Angel off into the undergrowth.

"Well, kid, looks like it's just you and me," Little John's voice said from behind him." Roxas glanced back at the bear and, for the first time, he saw that Little John, too, had donned a disguise, his of a nobleman. _So, disguises are apparently common here, _Roxas thought as he looked at him. He turned his head forward once more. "Don't be nervous. These battles aren't too intense." He glanced back once more at him and nodded, before Little John led him out into the village.

They walked through the town, their disguises keeping them from being identified, until they reached an area where the houses ended. Before them spread a wide expanse of field with various festive decorations lining it, along with areas set up for the nobility to sit. A special stage with a few thrones was set apart from all the others, in a position to best view anything happening in the field.

Then they came. Cresting the hill with the sun behind them were several Samurai Nobodies, a regally dressed alligator walking alongside them, trumpet in one hand and a scroll in the other. Four of the Nobodies were carrying what appeared to be a podium, upon which sat a lion with sparse main and a crown upon his head, a snake coiled beside him. The procession led to the stage, where the Samurais set the podium down, allowing the lion and the snake to get down and walk into it. As the two sat down, the lion in the biggest throne, the snake in the one beside him, villagers began to appear. The alligator cleared his throat, setting down his trumpet and unrolling the scroll. "Hear ye, all!" he called in a harsh, grating voice. "Today is the day of the tournament!" He stepped slightly off to the side and waved towards the two on stage. "Welcome the mighty Prince John!" The lion stood and bowed, but he only received half-hearted clapping and hushed boos. The alligator turned back around. "Let the tournament begin!"

Little John broke away from Roxas and walked towards the stage. "All who wish to participate in the tournament, here!" the alligator called. Roxas walked towards him, and other villagers followed his example. The alligator surveyed the group before nodding. "Write your names and home towns here," he informed them. A sort of ragged line formed, Roxas at the forefront. Bending down, he scribbled, 'Roxas, from Clearing Glen.' Then he stepped aside, subconsciously pulling the hood of his cloak further down and checking to make sure both masks were still in place. Maybe, if he hurried and was careful, he could slip the fox one off…

His thoughts were cut short by the alligator's trumpet call. "First up, an unknown wolf from far away, Roxas from Clearing Glen!" Again, there was half-hearted clapping as Roxas whipped back around to face the alligator. "And his opponent, the honorable Sheriff of Nottingham!" As the stocky wolf stepped forward, there were a series of boos. The Sheriff frowned, but couldn't comment when the alligator called out, "Let the fight begin!"

"So, you think you're tough, huh?" the Sheriff asked, drawing a sword from the scabbard at his side.

"Tough enough," Roxas replied, trying to change his voice enough to be unrecognizable. Immediately afterward, Roxas summoned the Kingdom Key and launched himself forward. The Sheriff raised his sword to block the blow, but Roxas quickly pulled his blade back and moved it down to strike the wolf in the stomach.

"Pretty good," the Sheriff conceded. Then he gave him a curious look that made him feel nervous. "Haven't I seen that sword somewhere before?"

Roxas replied by dashing forward, swinging his Keyblade. The Sheriff was unable to catch this one, and was sent flying backwards. Roxas skidded to a halt and pushed off again quickly, bringing his Keyblade in several quick slashes across the Sheriff. The Sheriff groaned, falling backwards. Roxas pointed the tip of the Keyblade towards the Sheriff's chest, thinking the battle itself was too easy.

The wolf simply laughed at him. "This battle ain't over yet," he informed him. Roxas quirked an eyebrow behind his mask, but before he could ask what the wolf had meant, he heard a startled cry from the direction of the stage. He whipped his head around to see Shadow and Robin Hood facing Samurai Nobodies, Little John attempting to smooth things over and Angel quickly dashing over from where he'd been waiting, summoning his daggers.

It was that moment of distraction that would be his undoing.

He felt the tug on the cloak that hid him too late to stop it before the Sheriff had ripped it off him, leaving him in his normal street clothes once more. "Hah! I knew I'd seen that sword somewhere before!" he crowed, making a quick swipe upward across the wolf mask Roxas wore. The mask fell apart, leaving the fox mask in its place. "Just as I thought." Suddenly he fell into silence, however, and Roxas felt a sense of dread run through him. When the Sheriff had cut through the top mask, his sword had reached through to the bottom one, as well. The mask that Shadow had made fell off, cut cleanly in two, leaving his human-like face plain for all to see. The Sheriff's eyes grew wide. "What are you?"

"Kill them!" he heard a voice shout. Head whipping around, he saw Prince John jumping up and down angrily. "Kill them now!"

The Samurai Nobodies, at first, were quick to answer. They stalked forwards towards each of the ones Prince John wanted gone. With Roxas, however, they hesitated. He watched them carefully, wondering what they'd do. They didn't have hearts, he reminded himself. They could wonder at what their former master was doing there, but they didn't have the ability to feel any loyalty to him. They would attack, even if they were confused, so long as their new master commanded it.

So he was just going to have to reassert himself. "You remember me, right?" he asked the Nobodies. The Samurais responded by taking each taking a step closer to him. "I was your master in the Organization." The Nobodies seemed to nod in response. "I made sure that you were treated well." He paused, realizing the last statement would only appeal to someone with a heart. He tried again. "You know I am the Keyblade Master's Nobody." He hoped no one looked too much into that last statement besides the Samurais before him. "Once, I helped to build up Kingdom Hearts."

For the first time in a long while, he heard one of his Nobodies speak to him. _You left, my liege. _There was no sign of regret, no anger, betrayal, nothing. The Samurai wasn't accusing him, simply stating a fact.

Roxas nodded. "That's true. But, now, I need to ask a favor of you; don't listen to that phony prince over there." He pointed the Keyblade at the very angry lion. "I can beat him, you know I can, without even breaking a sweat." The Nobodies were still, seemingly debating. Hoping to try and win them fully over again, he added, "Pretend, for a little while, that you do have hearts, and can feel loyalty."

The Samurais shifted, and Roxas was suddenly afraid he'd made a mistake by saying those words. Then, to his surprise, the knelt onto their knees before him, bowing their heads. _We are always loyal to you, my liege._

"What are you doing?" Prince John screeched. "Kill them!" The Nobodies didn't move. Prince John, even more furious now, roared, "Call in the others!"

"Thank you," Roxas told his Nobodies before racing away. The others needed no urging. Roxas may have been able to control his Samurais, but as for any others…well, that wouldn't end as well. It was best just to get out of there and form a new plan.

After all, being unmasked made things a bit more complicated.

* * *

_Okay, that's the end of chapter twenty - four. Review, please?_


	25. Into the Castle

_Chapter twenty - five is up! Thank you Clarilune, Flightfoot, CatchingForRain, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Twenty - five: Into the Castle**

They were far into the woods before the five finally decided it was safe enough to come to a stop. Panting, Roxas untied the strip of bandage from around his waist, letting the make-shift tail fall to the ground. When he looked up again, he saw Robin Hood and Little john giving him curious looks. "So, you're not like us," Robin stated calmly.

"No," Roxas murmured, shaking his head.

The fox turned his head to look at Angel and Shadow. "What about you two?"

"Same as him," Angel replied, pulling off the raccoon mask and untying his tail, Shadow doing likewise.

Robin shook his head. "First the white things, then the black ones, and now this."

"The white things are Nobodies," Shadow chimed in, "and the black ones are Heartless."

"So what are you?" Little John asked.

"Human," Angel replied.

Robin's eyes were back to Roxas. "And you got those…Nobodies of Prince John's to leave us alone?"

He nodded in response. "But I can only do that with those Nobodies, the Samurais," he added quickly.

"Hmm," Robin murmured, looking thoughtful.

"Robin, are you thinking the same thing I am?" Little John asked.

"Possibly," Robin replied. There were a few moments of silence before he added, "Can I ask you three one last favor?"

"Sure!" Shadow chimed in immediately.

Before Robin could ask, however, Angel asked, "You're not too bothered by the fact we aren't the same?"

"Of course not," Robin replied. "What you are doesn't matter; it's who you are that's really important."

There were a few more moments of silence before Roxas asked, "What's the favor?"

"Well, we want you guys to help us break into the castle."

This surprised all three. "What?" they exclaimed in unison.

Robin nodded. "You see, if Roxas can control Prince John's guards, then we have a better chance of getting in."

"And do what? Steal some more?" Angel asked sourly.

"The people here need money," Little John replied. "Who better to steal it from than the one causing all the problems himself?"

Shadow had quickly recovered from her surprise, and now her eyes were glowing with enthusiasm. "This could be fun," she said, grinning.

Roxas frowned slightly, staring off into the distance as he thought. "Roxas?" Robin asked, snapping him back to reality.

The blond Nobody turned back to look at the group, and before he knew it, he was voicing his thoughts. "The problem isn't that the villagers don't have enough money; it's that their being taxed too much."

"We got that," Angel informed him dryly. "That's why their trying to steal."

"No, listen; no matter how much is stolen, the villagers will still be struggling to keep up. The only way to stop it is to stop Prince John."

"What? You mean, like, kill him?" Little John asked.

"No, not necessarily," Roxas said quickly. "You could…put him in prison, or something." Feeling sheepish now, he ducked his head. "Just an idea."

"A good one," Robin conceded to him. "Maybe…but, we'll just have to wait and see." Roxas looked up once more. "So, will you help us?"

Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah."

"Great!" Little John said.

"We'll meet on the outskirts of the village tonight, around midnight," Robin told them. Then he and Little John were gone, into the trees.

"This is exciting!" Shadow exclaimed.

"How?" Angel hissed. "You're _stealing._ Did you miss that part?"

"No, but it's for a good reason," Shadow said quickly.

"Well, whatever the reason, you can count me out," Angel informed her. With that, he stalked off through the trees.

"Oops," Shadow muttered. "I think I made him mad again." With that, she headed off in the direction the metal-haired boy had gone.

Roxas was about to follow when he heard a voice. "Roxas."

He paused, feeling suddenly cold. Whipping around, he saw a swirl off mist that faded away to reveal the cloaked shape of Zylen. "What do you want?" Roxas growled, summoning his Keyblade and getting into a fighting stance.

Beneath the shadows of his hood, the Nobody could just make out the beginnings of a smirk. "Aren't you at all curious about Xion?"

_Not this again, _he growled mentally. "Stop trying to mess with me," he spat.

"There's more to your past than you realize," Zylen informed him. Roxas momentarily relaxed his stance, his mind suddenly whirling with an odd cloud of confusion. This man was lying…right? He started reaching his hand to the pocket where the seashell rested, but stopped himself. "We could make a trade," Zylen told him. "Information for information."

Roxas shook his head forcefully and gripped the Keyblade suddenly tighter, trying to get rid of the confusion. "Shut up!" With that, he dashed forward, swinging his Keyblade.

The Kingdom Key cut through empty air. As Roxas straightened and looked around wildly, he heard Zylen's voice call, "Remember, the offer remains open." Confusion shadowing both his eyes and mind, he dismissed the Keyblade and dashed off into the forest.

~*~

Midnight seemed to come all too quickly. Roxas, no matter how hard he'd tried, hadn't been able to get much sleep. He knew he should get some rest before this venture, but his soul was troubled. He re-read the paper with its cryptic message several times and fingered the seashell before his eyes, wondering if they held the answers that would calm him. However, neither gave up their secrets to him.

When he guessed it was about time, Roxas slipped both the seashell and the paper back into his pocket and pushed himself to his feet. It wasn't long after before Shadow was awake. She, of course, was brimming with energy. "Let's go!" she cried, dashing out of the Gummi ship. A few moments later she returned, pulled a granola bar out of their food bag, and ran back out. Shaking his head, Roxas finished his breakfast and followed more slowly.

When he came out, Shadow was trying to eat the food as fast as possible. "Um, you're going to choke."

"I want to get going!" was her response. Finishing the granola bar, she looked back to the door of the Gummi ship. "He's not even going to come with us this time, is he?"

Glancing behind him and seeing no movement, Roxas replied, "I guess not."

Shadow's mood seemed to dampen slightly, but she still put on a smile. "Well, if he wants to be a party pooper, fine. Let's go!" With that, she was heading off into the woods, Roxas following behind her.

When they reached the village, Robin Hood and Little John were already waiting for them. "Are you ready?" Robin asked. Both nodded in response. "Then follow me." With that, the four were dashing through the shadows if the silent town, only the faint glow of the moon lighting their way. It seemed as if everything around them was frozen in time. _Time, _Roxas's mind echoed. It seemed as if that was what was always on his mind now.

When they reached the castle, Shadow asked, "Ok, so now what do we do?"

"Roxas," Robin replied simply.

When Roxas looked to the gate leading in, he saw no one stood guard. "Clear," he hissed.

Behind him, he heard a sudden twang before something whistled through the air. Roxas whipped back around to see that Robin Hood had shot an arrow with a rope attached up to the ramparts of the castle's outer wall. The arrow hit a tall wooden flag pole and held fast, leaving the rope dangling down for them to climb. Robin went first, followed by Shadow, Roxas, and finally Little John. Together they edged of the side of the wall, hands gripping the rope firmly. When they reached the top, they surveyed the area. "Where are we going?" Shadow hissed.

Robin pointed out across the courtyard towards a room on the main castle. "There. That's Prince John's room." He pulled up the rope and allowed it to fall down the other side of the wall. As they climbed down, however, they had no idea that a pair of eyes was watching from the shadows. The Dusk remained there a few more moments before hurrying off, leaving the foursome to make their way across the courtyard.

Upon reached the door to the main castle, Shadow tried it. "Ah, man. It's locked."

Summoning the Keyblade, Roxas said, "Move." Looking back at him and seeing his Keyblade, she stepped out of the way. He raised the Kingdom Key, pointing its tip towards the keyhole. A beam of light shot into it from the tip of the Keyblade. Dismissing his weapon, he stepped forward and turned the knob. The door swung open smoothly. Robin nodded to him, then put one finger to his lips in a sign to remain silent before taking the lead. The others followed behind.

Robin Hood led them swiftly through the dark corridors, seeming fairly sure of himself. When he led them up a set of stairs, however, he came to an abrupt halt. Shadow almost ran into him. "Why'd we stop?" she asked, peering around the fox.

Then she saw why. Prince John was standing before them, still in his pajamas, a Dusk hovering beside him. "Did you really think you could steal from me?" he asked.

"Uh…yes?" Shadow replied, giving an awkward smile.

"No!" Prince John cried. "This money belongs to _me_!" Roxas tensed. He'd seen that kind of greed before, and last time it had brought…

Suddenly, a vicious roar rocked the castle. Before them, in a swirl of darkness, a large dragon-like Heartless emerged. "Kill them!" Prince John shouted. Roxas swallowed, summoning his Keyblade. His assumptions were right, but he couldn't say he was happy about it.

~*~

Angel tried to stick to the shadows as he neared the walls that guarded the castle. _Why am I doing this? _he asked himself for probably the hundredth time since he'd left. Originally, he hadn't planned on going at all. If he went, they'd force him to steal, and that…brought back to many dark memories. But he couldn't help it. He had to follow them, if just to make sure nothing bad happened.

_This is ridiculous, _he thought, shaking his head. _Remember what happened last time? _The painful memories resurfaced, of betrayal and of lost love. His eyes clouded briefly, the moonlight casting him in an ethereal sheen. Then he shook his head, closing his eyes tightly and gritting his teeth. _No. Never again. _When he opened his eyes again, they were hard as steel. _I just need them to help me stop the Time Racers and get revenge on Zylen. That's all._

"Well, what do we have here?" an all too familiar voice hissed.

Narrowing his eyes and summoning his daggers, Angel called, "Come out, Domian. You're tricks don't work so well on me."

The Time Racer materialized before him. "What's the matter, Angel?" he taunted. "I thought you weren't going to steal."

"You've been spying," Angel stated flatly, in no mood to deal with him.

Domian simply smirked. "Is it possible that you care for them, _No. 1_?"

Angel glared darkly at him. "The past won't be repeated." Unfortunately, Domian did have some point. No matter how much he denied it, there was a small part of him that cared about them, that wanted to consider them friends.

A vicious roar suddenly shook the night. Still smirking, Domian looked upward. "Well, then, perhaps you should get moving."

Looking up, Angel saw something he hadn't expected. The top of the castle flew off, stones flying everywhere. From the castle reared a large dragon Heartless. Angel looked back to where Domian had been standing, but the Time Racer had left. Narrowing his eyes, he wondered how he'd get there. He could…no, no he couldn't. So, taking a deep breath, he began searching for a way in.

* * *

_Alright, that's the end of chapter twenty - five. Feel free to tell me what you think!_


	26. Dragon Flight

_So here's chapter twenty - six. Thank you Seeker-Of-The-Heart, caitlinkeitorin, Flightfoot, Sora Tayuya, CatchingForRain, and Clarilune for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Twenty - Six: Dragon Flight**

Roxas looked upward, towards the head of the dragon Heartless that rose far above him into the star - spangled sky of night, the rocks that pieced together the castle falling away around it. Gripping his Keyblade tightly, he jumped upward. He jabbed the blade of his weapon into the mottled purple and red flesh of the Heartless's leg. It roared with fury, looking down with glowing yellow eyes to where he hung. He swung his legs forward, planting them against the dragon-like creature's leg. Then, steeling himself, he pushed himself up the Heartless's leg, drawing his Keyblade out from where it was imbedded. Then, he was doing something he hadn't done since his battle with Riku at Memory's Skyscraper; running nearly vertical up the Heartless's leg.

The jet of dark flame that spewed from the Heartless's mouth startled him. He pushed himself harder up, allowing him to just barely dodge the stream of flame and jump into the air above it's back. When he began to fall back down, he angled himself towards the Heartless's back, brandishing his Keyblade. He felt it impact the Heartless's back, but it did little to help. The dragon Heartless glanced back, but seemed more preoccupied with the arrows being shot at it by the fox below.

"Hey, Roxas!" Shadow called. Whipping around, he saw that she had made her way up the Heartless's back. "Look out!" she called, jumping into the air and crossing the claws on her gauntlet. He jumped out of the way, allowing her claws to slash down across the flesh of the dragon's back. This it seemed to feel, as it lifted its massive horned head and roared to the heavens.

"Get ready," Roxas hissed to her.

"Hey, Angel's not the only one I make angry," Shadow said, a small smirk on her face.

Then the dragon's tail suddenly whipped forward, stretching across its back towards the two there. They tried to dodge, but weren't quick enough. The tail smacked into them, sending them flying. Roxas collided with the Heartless's thick neck, while Shadow nearly went off its side, and would have, if she hadn't swung her claw gauntlets out at the last second to dig into its skin.

"Are you two alright?" Robin Hood called up to them.

"Fine," Roxas called back down to him. Wincing, he forced himself upwards as the tail swung towards him again. This time, though, he was prepared. He brought the Keyblade up to parry the strike before lunging forward, his blade cutting through part of the skin on the tail. The dragon roared its fury, and would have attack him, had Robin not shot another arrow up towards it. Shadow, who had pulled herself back up onto the Heartless's back, was aiming for the fragile - looking wings. With the dragon distracted by Robin Hood and the tail momentarily still, Roxas decided to join her.

Unfortunately, it appeared the Heartless was more concerned with the two attacking its wings than the one shooting arrows at it. Snarling, it whipped its head back around. Roxas barely had time to register what was happening before the blur of the Heartless's tail sent both him and Shadow flying into the air. He let out a cry of surprise before the dragon Heartless pulled back its head and opened its massive jaws, sending a stream of dark fire up towards them. And, unfortunately for them, there was no dodging that attack. They could only wait, and try to withstand the pain that lanced through them.

As the fire faded, Roxas idly wondered at the fact that though the fire hurt, it didn't even leave a trace on them. Then they were falling down, to the open mouth of the waiting Heartless. "Get ready!" Roxas called to Shadow. As they fall through its jaws, Roxas flipped his Keyblade horizontally, sticking the tip into the roof of the Heartless's mouth and bracing the hilt against the bottom of its mouth. He gripped the blade, hoping desperately that it would be forced free.

Shadow grabbed his leg as she fell past him. "Good thinking," she called up to him.

"We're not safe yet," he warned, looking nervously downward, where he could see the beginnings of the dark fire forming in the depths of the Heartless's throat.

"Leave them alone!" a voice snarled from above them.

Two heads shot upward, to see a shape falling towards them from above. "It's Angel!" Shadow cried, a smile in her voice.

The metal-haired boy had his twin daggers summoned, and using all the force gained by gravity, he slashed them down across the Heartless's head. The dragon-like creature cried out in anguish, lowering its head and shaking it fiercely. The force shook Roxas and Shadow free, allowing them to fall to the ground beside Robin Hood and Little John. Angel landed beside them, looking warily towards their opponent.

"Wow, you actually came," Shadow said, grinning.

Angel shrugged, not looking at her. "Don't read too deep into it," he told her. "I just came to make sure you didn't get killed. After all, I need some help defeating the Time Racers."

Shadow, as usual, wasn't phased. "You care, and you know it." Angel narrowed his eyes and didn't reply. "See? I'm right!"

"Worry about that later," Robin Hood told her. "Our 'friend' here seems to be back to normal."

The five looked nervously at the angry Heartless glaring at them. Opening its jaws, it spewed its dark flame at them. They jumped away, trying to avoid the worst of the attack. Flames licked around the stones where they had once stood, leaving, as before, no marks. Roxas, while the Heartless was distracted, tried to contact his Nobodies. To his frustration, he discovered the link broken. _Just like before, _he thought. This, after all, had been the original reason he had refrained from using his Nobodies too often in the Organization; he'd never been entirely sure how to summon them.

Fierce pain forced him back into reality. The Heartless had swept a massive claw towards him, the sharp tips cutting through parts of his skin, leaving the bloodless flesh open. He grimaced, righting himself once more. _You won't get the best of me! _he thought to it. He dashed forward, both hands gripping the Keyblade. The Heartless lowered its head, trying to capture him in its jaws. He jumped up, out of the way, and onto its head. He brought his Keyblade down forcefully across its head, right where he saw the marks from Angel's daggers. The blade hit home, causing the dragon Heartless to trill sharply in pain. He aimed a few more blows at the spot before the Heartless shook him off, causing him to fall to the ground.

Suddenly, he found a massive claw placed over his body, pinning him to the ground. And, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't force it off of him. "Get off me!" he hissed, trying to draw the Keyblade up to strike at it.

An arrow whizzed through the air, sticking into the dragon's leg. The Shadow and Angel were there, as well, their weapons cutting open flesh on the Heartless's leg. The dragon roared, lifting its foot and allowing Roxas to escape. Quickly getting back into a fighting position, he said, "Thanks."

"No problem," Shadow said, with her usual cheeky grin.

"It's coming back," Angel hissed.

While his two companions dodged away, however, Roxas did not. He brought his Keyblade up to block the snake-like strike of the dragon Heartless's head, using both hands to brace the Keyblade against its jaws. In a power struggle, he knew he could never beat it. What he had to do was get it to push hard enough…

When the Heartless pushed harder against his blade, he relinquished his position, drawing back his Keyblade and rolling away. The Heartless's head, as expected, slammed into the ground with enough force to temporarily knock it out. He wasted no time, dashing forward and swinging his Keyblade at the now un-protected neck. Shadow and Angel were quick to join him, Robin Hood shooting his arrows from afar and Little John doing what he could without a weapon.

Sadly, though, the Heartless wasn't down long. As it startled back to awareness, its head and neck jerked upward. Roxas, in the middle of landing another blow, was caught by it. Instinctively, he grabbed the dragon's neck as it rose upward, lifting him away from the ground. "Roxas!" Shadow and Angel exclaimed in surprise.

Roxas, however, would end up being the one who was more surprised. Because, at that moment, the Heartless jumped into the air, bringing its wings down in a powerful down stroke. He tried to hang on, but the next down stroke jarred him loose, causing him to fall. He jabbed his Keyblade forward, sticking the blade into the flesh of the Heartless. There he remained, dangling from the hilt. In an attempt to hopefully even things up, he reached into himself, trying to find the power of his form. He found it but, as he'd found for a while in Olympus Coliseum, he couldn't access it. _No!_ he thought in frustration.

Don't give up, Roxas!

The voice resounding in his head surprise him. _I don't plan on it, _he responded.

…That doesn't surprise me.

_Do you have any advice for me this time? _he asked, not letting himself think about the fact that talking to a voice in your head generally meant you were crazy.

I don't think you really need it, this time.

Roxas blinked in surprise. He wanted to ask how the voice's owner could be so sure. Instead, though, a different question came forth; _Who are you?_

…Someone who wants to help you.

_That's not much of an answer._

I know, but it's the only one I can give you right now. You'll understand, in time.

_I'm not so sure._

Trust me.

As the voice faded, he found that he did. Inside his pocket, he felt the seashell pressing against his side. _Wait! _he called out suddenly. _You're the one who gave me the seashell, right? Why? _When the voice responded, it was only the faintest of whispers, but still there, all the same:

To…remind you…you're never alone.

Then the roar of the dragon Heartless split the night, forcing Roxas into reality once more. _I know what to do, huh? _he thought. Then, his eyes widened as a realization hit him. _If there's a Heartless, then there might be…_ Closing his eyes, he focused on his link with his Nobodies. _I need your help! _he called, hoping desperately that it would reach them. _I need you to try and find…a dragon Nobody._

At first, there was no response, and he began to feel as if he hadn't reached them. Then; _We gave found it, my liege._

Smiling slightly, he replied, _Thank you._

Then a new roar split the skies. In the air, there emerged a silver and black dragon Nobody. While the Heartless seemed all darkness, this one seemed to shine, reflecting the glow of the stars just as the moon reflected the glow of the sun. Roxas's excitement at the sight, however, was short lived. The Heartless's tail had swept around, its powerful swing dislodging both him and the Kingdom Key. He didn't fall far, though. The Nobody flew forward, allowing him to land on its back. He rolled back to his feet, bracing himself. "This is it!" he called. The Nobody he rode upon roared in response. Beating its wings fiercely, it flew forward.

Though he couldn't access Sunrise form at the moment, he could still access his Limit. This was what he drew on now. He sprang off the Nobody's back towards the Heartless, allowing the power of his Limit to run through him. He brought his Keyblade down in rapid slashes, blurs of light in the otherwise dark night. The Heartless roared in agony, and Roxas unleashed his Final Limit. The four pillars of light flew out from where he was, streaking across the Heartless's back. He unleashed them once more before the power of his Limit faded away, and he jumped from the back of the Heartless to the back of the Nobody. He slid down its tail, falling from there to the top of the remains of the stone castle wall.

When Roxas looked up once more, he saw the Nobody and Heartless fighting. _Do all Nobodies and Somebodies fight that fiercely? _he wondered. After a few moments, he looked away, only looking back when he heard the scream-like trills that signaled both had faded into oblivion.

He made his way carefully down the remains of the rock wall, landing on the stone floor below him. Shadow, Angel, Robin Hood, and Little John came rushing to meet him. "Dude, that was awesome!" Shadow exclaimed.

Roxas shrugged, slipping his hand into his pocket. Fingering the seashell, and hoping the owner of the voice could hear him, he silently said, _Thank you._

* * *

_That's the end of chapter twenty - six. Reviews are welcome, if you want to give them!_


	27. Under the Sea

_So, here's chapter twenty - seven. Thanks go to Giulia95, Flightfoot, Confizzledworld, caitlinkeitorin, CatchingForRain, Clarilune, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Twenty - Seven: Under the Sea**

"So, what are we going to do about Prince John?" Shadow asked. The lion himself had disappeared.

"We'll figure out something," Robin Hood replied. "The important thing now is that he knows what he's facing."

"Maybe he'll let up," Shadow said hopefully.

"Or we could just do as Roxas said and put him in prison," Little John laughed. The blond Nobody wasn't paying much attention to the conversation, though. His wounds stung, but they weren't what troubled him. His mind was muddled with confusion, about the Time Racers, about the voice…everything. He was even starting to question his past.

"Roxas?" Shadow asked.

Roxas shook himself out of his thoughts. "We'd…probably better get going. If you've got everything under control, that is."

Robin nodded. "Of course."

"Come on, Shadow; you have something you need to fix," Angel said, giving her a pointed look.

"Oh, uh, yeah, about that…" she said, trailing off.

"What?" Angel asked slowly.

"I lied."

The metal-haired boy's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"

Shadow shrugged. "Well, if you'd known it was fine, we'd have left before we even got to explore!"

"Shadow!" Angel exclaimed in anger. Laughing, the brown haired girl dashed away, Angel in pursuit. Roxas, shaking his head at them, followed, leaving the broken stone castle behind.

As it turned out, they didn't leave that day. All tired from their nightly endeavor, they'd spent the duration of the day and the following night resting, or at least attempting to. Angel seemed oddly anxious to get going, while Shadow was more interested in investigating every nook and cranny she hadn't already. Roxas found himself oddly calm. Of course, he was still worried about setting Sora, Riku, and Kairi free, but, for some reason, he had a feeling the Time Racers wouldn't be quite as hard to find. It was simply getting the information to get back into Time Castle that they needed.

Which left him with an idea. All he needed now was an opportunity to use it.

The next morning, the trio bid fair well to Robin Hood and Little John and boarded the Gummi ship. Starting the ship, Roxas maneuvered them into the air and headed off into space. "No repeat incidents?" he called back to Shadow.

"Fine," Shadow said with a sigh.

"Maybe we should go back to a world one of us is familiar with," Angel said.

"What's that world?" Shadow asked suddenly, jumping up to stand beside the pilot's seat and pointing out the window.

Following her finger, Roxas answered, "Atlantica."

"You know that world, right? So that means we can go!"

"Yes, but," Roxas said, his voice cautioning her, "we'll need Merlin's magic."

"No problem," Shadow said with a grin. When she lifted up the bottle with the magic swirling around inside, Roxas nodded and steered the Gummi ship down towards the world. As they neared, he felt the magic from the now-uncorked bottle swirl around him, changing both him and his companions so that they'd blend into the new world.

The Gummi ship landed in the water, dropping down through the waves to land between some boulders on the ocean floor. The door opened, and three mer-people swam out…or, somewhat swam. "This is so cool!" Shadow cried, even though she was floating upside down. Her legs had changed into a green tail, and she wore a swim top. Surprisingly, her holders were still attached around her waist, claw gauntlets still stuck firmly inside.

"I'd call it annoying," Angel replied sullenly, flapping his tail several times to try and end up in an upright position. From the upper part of his tail sprouted two dorsal fins, and the tail itself was gray in color.

Roxas's tail was identical to Sora's and, as Sora's Nobody, he was having a little more success. _Remember how Sora did this, _he told himself, trying to draw on his Somebody's memories. _This…is a bit harder than I thought._ Eventually, though, he managed to bring himself to an upright position. Breathing a sigh of relief, he called back, "Try to do what I do." He angled his body forward through the water, moving his tail up and down to propel himself forward. He stopped a little ways away to look back and make sure his companions were following him. While still having minor problems, they still managed to swim forward. Nodding to them, Roxas continued on, through the boulders and out further into the ocean.

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of this!" Shadow said after a few moments. With those words she propelled past, rotating as she did so, before doing a summersault.

"Show off," Angel muttered from behind Roxas.

Shadow paused in her excited swimming, cocking her head to one side. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

The other two paused, listening now themselves. "Sounds like music," Angel replied.

Roxas nodded. "The people of Atlantica love music," he responded.

"Let's check it out!" Shadow cried. She swam off energetically in the direction of the music, leaving her two companions to chase after her.

It wasn't long, though, before they heard the music stop. "Where'd it go?" Shadow cried, whipping around rapidly in search.

"Maybe they decided to do something else," Angel replied, crossing his arms and narrowing his brown eyes.

"Or maybe something else stopped them," Roxas added quietly, narrowing his eyes as he picked out the dark shapes swimming towards them.

Shadow and Angel turned their gazes in the direction he was looking. "Heartless," Angel growled as they neared, summoning his daggers.

Roxas didn't hesitate to summon his Keyblade and launch himself forward. Brandishing the weapon, he slammed it into the first Heartless he came into contact with, one that resembled a shark. The Heartless was pushed back slightly, but quickly corrected itself and dove forward towards him once more, jaws agape. He swung the Keyblade forcefully down and forward, bringing it back up almost as soon as he reached the end of his first strike. He drove forward in a barrage of strikes, finally causing the Heartless to fade away into oblivion, the pink heart floating up through the water to disappear into darkness.

Almost immediately after, another shark Heartless was upon him. He used the Keyblade to bar its jaws. Forcing it back, he used his tail to propel himself after it, bringing his Keyblade forward in a powerful stroke that sent it flying.

He found it a bit more challenging to fight this way than what he was used to. As the Heartless came back for him, he had slight trouble maneuvering himself out of the way of its rapid charge. He gritted his teeth as he felt the fangs slash through his skin. His tail flapped a few times to right himself. Turning to face the Heartless, he saw it was charging towards him once more. He brought the Keyblade up to block it, the metal of the weapon sliding between the fangs to the edges of the dark creature's mouth. Using this new hold to his advantage, he flipped the Keyblade to the side, causing the shark Heartless to go spinning away. While the Heartless tried to recover, he took his chance. Propelling himself forward, he swung the Kingdom Key across the Heartless's blue-gray body once, twice, then spun around and delivered a powerful finishing blow that defeated it.

"Look out!" a voice cried suddenly. Roxas whipped around, Keyblade prepared as another Heartless swam towards him, only to see a mermaid intercept it with a powerful blow from her tail. He didn't hesitate; he charged forward, at the last moment thrusting the tip forward so that it impaled the Heartless.

Panting, he straightened and looked around. As Angel finished off his Heartless, he called, "I think that was the last of them."

Exhaling slowly, Roxas dismissed the Kingdom Key. "Thank you," he said, turning around to face the mermaid.

He recognized her from Sora's memories: Ariel. And right now, she was giving him a curious look. "You're not Sora," she said.

"Uh, not exactly," he replied quietly.

"But you have the Keyblade."

Roxas nodded as Shadow and Angel swam awkwardly up beside him. "Yeah, he's just that special," Shadow teased, the usual cheeky grin on her face.

"Why?"

He'd really been hoping she hadn't asked that. "I have a connection to Sora," he said carefully.

Before Ariel could ask anything else, Shadow asked, "Have you seen anything weird lately?"

Angel gave her a sardonic look. "To them, the Heartless are weird, Shadow."

"…I knew that," she said.

Shaking his head, Angel turned back to Ariel and said, "What she means is, have you seen anyone dressed in white, blue, and gold?"

"Or that doesn't seem to belong here?" Shadow added.

Roxas noticed Ariel smile, and knew what was coming before she even said it. "You three," she replied. Before anyone could protest, she added, "It's Ok. I've known ever since Sora and his friends came here that there are other worlds."

"Oh," Shadow said.

"What's going on with the Heartless?" Roxas asked. "Weren't they gone the last time?"

"Yes, they were gone the last time _Sora _was here."

Roxas blinked, realizing his mistake. _Great, Roxas. You've essentially screwed yourself over now._ Ariel smiled again, saying, "Come on. I'll tell you what's been happening with the Heartless and help you guys fight in water. But I want to know what connection you have to Sora, too."

He decided he needed a new name.

It wasn't that he really minded his name. Not at all, in fact. But he'd rather not have anyone knowing he was coming before he got there. The name would only be temporary, of course; just until he found who he was looking for. Now the only problem was finding one that suited him.

He found himself looking in the world's he explored for a new name. Of course, there were a variety of…interesting ideas to choose from. But none that he found would work. That is, until he heard a legend, one that took him back to his childhood days. It was the legend of a bird made of feathers like fire. This bird was magnificent, admired by all. Then, one day it erupted into true flames itself, leaving only ashes behind as a memory. The people wept when they say the bird had fallen, and prepared to scoop the ashes up. But then, to their surprise, the ashes began to come together, forming the shape of the fiery bird once more.

The Phoenix, born again from the ashes. He liked that name.

When he'd been little, he'd always said that, one day, he'd be just like that magnificent bird. He believed that through the memories of his friends, he'd rise from the ashes. So, maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised when someone reached to pull him out of the darkness. Yet he had been. And now, he was out to correct the mistakes of the past.

The Phoenix had risen again. It was his time now.

* * *

_That's the end of chapter twenty - seven. Reviews are always welcome!_


	28. Heritage Unknown

_**So, then, here's chapter twenty - eight! Thank you caitlinkeitorin, Guila95, Confizzledworld, Roxas13 3, Sora Tayuya, Flightfoot, surxi25, and Blah… for reviewing last chapter! **_

**Chapter Twenty - Eight: Heritage Unknown**

"What are your names?"

"I'm Roxas," the golden haired Nobody replied. "My friends are Shadow and Angel."

She nodded to them. "I'm Ariel."

"So…what's happening with the Heartless?" Shadow asked as they swam.

"The Heartless reappeared not long ago," Ariel replied. "There was a big storm one night. After the waters quieted and everyone thought things were alright, the Heartless came."

"Odd," Angel muttered, still trying to get used to his tail.

Ariel turned her head to look at Roxas. "So, how do you know Sora?"

"Well…" Roxas said slowly, unsure of a way to get out of it this time. After a few moments of thought, he decided the truth was his best option, if not his favorite. "I'm his Nobody."

"His Nobody?" Ariel questioned curiously.

"Nobodies are the opposite of Heartless," Shadow informed her.

"When someone with a strong heart is turned into a Heartless, a Nobody is born," Roxas clarified.

"Sora was turned into a Heartless?" Ariel exclaimed in surprise.

"Only temporarily," Roxas said quickly. He paused, wondering if he'd regained human form back at Time Castle. He shook off the thought, however, and instead added, "He was turned back not long after it happened."

Ariel shook her head in surprise. "Sora never seemed like the person who would give into darkness."

"He didn't. He released his heart to…free the heart of someone he cares about deeply. In the process, though, he turned into a Heartless…and created me."

A few moments of silence transpired before Shadow broke in. "Ok, awkward silence over! Speak now."

Angel shot a glare at her. "Why do you think we'll listen to you?"

"Cause you just did."

Angel shook his head. "Damn it."

"Hey! Stop being a potty mouth."

"You aren't my mom."

Roxas, rolling his eyes, slapped his tail between them, effectively diverting their attention from the argument. Ariel simply laughed at them. "Do they always fight like this?"

"Yeah," Roxas sighed.

Ariel looked up ahead. "There's the castle," she said.

The trio following unsteadily behind looked at the structure. Before any could comment, a voice boomed from inside. "Ariel, where have you been?"

"Hi Daddy," Ariel said in greeting.

"Daddy?" Angel and Shadow exclaimed in unison.

Roxas nodded, glancing back at them. "King Triton's her father," he confirmed.

"And what do we have here?" King Triton asked as he surveyed the trio.

"Their friends," Ariel replied quickly. "Roxas can use the Keyblade."

"Roxas?" Triton asked. Roxas swam a little further forward at the sound of his name, nervous to speak. After a few moments examining him, Triton snorted. "Another Keyblade wielder will likely just bring more trouble." He gave him a penetrating glare. "You aren't the one who drew the Heartless, are you?"

"No," Roxas replied quickly. "We just got here recently."

"From another world, I presume?" Roxas remained silent, which was answer enough. Shaking his head, Triton asked, "Ariel, what possessed you to bring them here?"

"I thought they could help us get rid of the Heartless," she replied.

Triton shook his head. "The Keyblade will only attract more Heartless. They can't stay."

"But, Daddy-" Ariel began, but he cut her off.

"Not another word. We'll find a way on our own." With that, he left, back into the castle.

"I…guess that means we leave," Angel commented.

"Wait!" Ariel cried as they turned to go. As they looked back, she said, "Come back tomorrow. Please? I know you could help get rid of the Heartless."

Roxas nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you," Ariel said with a smile, before turning and swimming off in the direction her father had gone.

The three some swam back towards the Gummi ship in silence for a time. Then, Shadow spoke up. "Hey, Angel, how come we never hear any of your past?"

His brown eyes stayed fixed ahead. "Maybe because it's none of your business."

"Hey! We know about Roxas's past, and you guys have met my family. Can't we hear anything about yours?"

"You don't talk a lot about your past," Angel informed her, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"That's because my past is boring!" After a few more moments of silence, she added, "Come on, can't you at least tell us about your family?" He sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm an orphan, Shadow. Have been for as long as I can remember."

"Really?" Shadow asked, blinking in surprise.

"Don't worry about it too much," he said, "it's not like your question in Olympus Coliseum. I've come to grips with this one." His eyes snapped open. "Let me give you some advice, though. Sometimes the past is best left forgotten." With that, he propelled himself ahead.

"His parents, his girlfriend…poor Angel," Shadow murmured. She flapped her tail faster, propelling herself after him.

Roxas hung back, thinking about Angel's parting words, and finding that something inside him rebelled against them. "You're wrong," he murmured. "The past needs to be remembered. If we forgot, we wouldn't have those precious memories of the times spent with ones we've loved…maybe even ones who've passed on." He felt a tear slip down his cheek, swept away by the ocean waters in an instant. "How would we ever learn from our mistakes?" He felt raw grief pierce him, though he couldn't understand why. Instinctively, he reached for the seashell. Only then did he pause, realizing that the item would be back on the Gummi ship.

"Hey, slow poke! You coming?" Shadow called back to him.

Shaking himself out of his melancholy thoughts, he called back up to her, "Yeah!" He swam faster, and slowly an emotion that was only supposed to be experienced by one with a heart faded away.

Angel found himself, for the first time in a long time, thinking about the past.

He said he'd never go back. That he'd leave his dark past behind him, and never look back. Yet, since he'd journeyed with Roxas and Shadow, he'd been forced to remember an assortment of things he'd rather have forgotten. Even though he knew he could never forget…he didn't want to remember.

_It doesn't matter, _he told himself over and over again. _Your only purpose now is to defeat the Time Racers, Zylen in particular._

He glanced over at his sleeping companions. He knew they felt bad for him; he could practically feel it. Shadow acted hyper and oblivious, but she still pitied him. Even Roxas, who supposedly couldn't feel any emotions, seemed to take pity on him. And he hated it. He didn't want their pity.

_Or is it just that your afraid to have friends? _a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. He gritted his teeth, fingers going to the 'No. 1' tattoo on his right arm. A memory flashed through his mind, as sharp as a sword:

_He looked at the new tattoo on his arm with surprise. "What's this?"_

_The blond haired man looked coldly back at him. "It's a symbol…to show the progress we've made._

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memories.

"_Where is she?"_

_The man looked to him. "Yes, well, about that…"_

_He felt his eyes widen and begin to film with unwanted tears, dreading what was coming. "Where is she?" he repeated, desperate for him to give him any answer but the one he knew was coming._

_The man looked at him calmly, his emotionless gaze seeming to pierce him to his very soul. "She's dead."_

Angel shook his head, gripping it. _Enough! _he snarled mentally. The memories faded to the back of his mind, leaving behind only a few tears that the ocean water would soon carry away.

Lea traversed slowly down the broken stone hallways that ran through Time Castle. He found himself, as he had been so often now, thinking about what Zylen had told him. _You're wrong, Zylen, _he thought, sneering. _I'm nothing like my Nobody._ But that was why he was heading this way; to prove just that.

He pushed the door open and walked down the stone steps into the dungeon. He stopped before the imprisoned Keybladers, emerald eyes glinting in the darkness. "Yo, Key Bearers."

Sora's head shot up and he jumped into a standing position. "Who are you?"

"Been in the darkness down here so long you can't see?" Lea taunted. "And here I thought you were one of the light."

Sora looked at him, then blinked in surprise. "Axel?" he asked.

Lea laughed. "Guess you didn't hear, huh? No, I'm Lea. I'm his Somebody." Then, smirking, he added, "Got it memorized?"

"What do you want?" Riku asked warily.

"I want you to give the Time Racers what they want."

Sora's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly summoned the Keyblade. "You're working with them?"

"That won't do you much good, will it?" he asked, nodding towards the weapon. "Domian fixed this thing so you couldn't get to the lock. That's how you're still here."

"Don't dodge the question," Sora hissed.

"Well, they _did _give me back my human form," Lea pointed out. "And the boss-man hasn't kept much from me, so I figure I owe them my loyalty."

"Have they told you what their plan is?" Kairi asked him.

"Uh, well…no," Lea replied.

Riku smirked from the shadows of his cell. "Haven't kept much, huh? How do you even know their plans include you?"

"What? Do _you _know them?" Lea snapped.

"No. We're against the Time Racers, remember?" Sora responded.

"Maybe you should think about who they are and what they have planned," Riku added, "before giving your loyalty over to them."

Lea snorted. "If you won't help, then I have no further business here." With that he turned on his heel and left, leaving the Keybladers to the darkness once more.

As he traveled back through Time Castle, however, he began to wonder. Just what were these plans the Time Racers had? Zylen had told him some very interesting things, but hadn't even left a clue as to what they were planning with the Keybladers. As he walked, his mind engrossed with his ponderings, he nearly ran into Hilran. "What are you doing this way, Lea?" she asked suspiciously.

The former Heartless glanced towards her. "Just checking up on the Key Bearers." Hilran narrowed her eyes, but didn't comment. As she walked past, however, Lea called her back. "Hey, Hilran?"

"What is it?" she asked tiredly.

"Where am I in your plans?"

He saw Hilran's smirk, cast eerily in opaque shadows and the tarnished silver of moonlight. "Is that all you're worried about? Don't worry, Lea; we won't forget about you. We'll make sure you get what's coming to you." With that, she walked away.

Lea's mind, despite her words, was filled with doubt. 'Get what's coming to you' could mean a variety of things, both good and bad. And, right now, he wasn't sure which she had been referring to.

And in the shadowy depths of his mind, a plan of his own was born.

_That's the end of chapter twenty - eight. Review, please? _


	29. Heartless Spawn

_Here's chapter twenty - nine! Thank you Guila95, surxi25, Confizzledworld, caitlinkeitorin, and a reader of KH and SH fanfics for reviewing last chapter!_

_Oh, and before I forget: the breakers that signaled a large time change of point of view change kept getting taken out, so now when either of those things happen, the first word of the new time/ character view will be in bold. Hopefully, this will keep people from getting confused._

**Chapter Twenty - Nine: Heartless Spawn**

Shadow, as usual, was the first awake. "Come on, guys!" she urged.

"We're coming," Angel sighed.

"Not very fast," she pouted.

Shaking his head, Roxas swam between them to try and prevent another argument from starting. "Let's go," he said, swimming forward.

"Yes!" Shadow cried energetically, propelling herself through the cerulean depths. Muttering something that sounded like 'too much energy', Angel followed more slowly behind the two.

They didn't get the opportunity to swim in silence, however. "Under the sea!" Shadow sang. "Under the sea!"

"Shut up, Shadow," Angel said through gritted teeth.

"What?" she asked, stopping to look back at him. "This is a place where music's big! Right?"

"Yeah," Roxas said with a nod.

"So…why is it wrong to sing?"

Angel gave her a look through narrowed eyes. "You don't like swearing; I don't like singing."

"Why?" Shadow asked curiously. Angel flinched slightly and looked away, causing her to give a sigh. "Great. I've hit a nerve again."

"Looks like you're on a role," Roxas commented.

"Was that an attempt at humor?" Shadow asked teasingly. He didn't respond. "Well, apparently it's true." This drew a small smirk out of him. They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Shadow said, "Ok, so, we know Angel's feelings about singing - sorry about that - but we don't know Roxas's yet."

"Uh, well," Roxas said, stalling to think about it. Truth be told, he wasn't sure himself as to what he felt about it.

"Might as well tell her," Angel sighed. "She'll never leave you alone until you do." With a pointed glare at the topic of his words, he added, "Trust me." She smiled proudly.

Roxas shrugged. "I…don't really know. I mean, I don't mind hearing it, but…I've never actually _sang_ before."

Shadow seemed as if she were about to comment on this, but Angel cut her off. "Oh, look, I see Ariel. Darn, you can't sing anymore."

"I know, you're heartbroken," Shadow teased.

"Sure, Shadow. Whatever."

"Hi," Ariel greeted them.

"Hi," Roxas responded in turn. "So, why'd you want to see us?"

"I may know where all the Heartless are coming from."

"Really?" all three exclaimed in surprise.

The mermaid nodded. "Come on; it's this way." With that, she turned on her tail and swam away, leaving the trio to follow behind. She led them through the depths towards an area protected by arched rocks and large boulders. She swam confidently through a gap between the rocks, leaving the three less-confident ones to maneuver their own way through.

What they saw when they emerged, however, caused their mouths to drop open in surprise. "What…is that?" Angel asked quietly. What they were looking at was a large, spire-like object, with dark thorns projecting off the sides, blobs of shadow and dark tendrils covering the remainder of its dark surface.

"I'm not sure," Ariel replied. "I found it one day when I was exploring. But look here." She pointed towards the Heartless emblem engraved into part of it.

"Then you may be right," Roxas conceded to her.

"In other words, a spawning point," Angel muttered.

"So, we just smash this thing, and the Heartless go away?" Shadow asked.

Ariel nodded. "Or, at least, I hope so."

They needed no more prompting. Roxas summoned the Kingdom Key, Angel his daggers, and Shadow donned her claw gauntlets. Roxas swam up to it, and brought his Keyblade down between two thorns to the shadowy surface beneath. When he did, however, there was a sudden rush of water that pushed him away. _What? _his mind asked in surprise. And suddenly before him were several Heartless. _Attacking it must have triggered it! _he realized nervously. As the Heartless swam for him, he brought his Keyblade up in defense. He battered them away, then spun around and prepared for the return attack he knew was coming. A shark Heartless was dashing for him. He caught its open jaws with the blade of his Keyblade, and used its own momentum to swing it around into another Heartless. The two flew backwards, right to where Angel and Shadow were waiting to finish them off.

He whipped around to attack more Heartless when he noticed two more spawn for the two that had been destroyed. He launched himself forward, swiping his Keyblade through them as he passed. These smaller Heartless fell with his first hit. However, as before, more rose to take their place. He tried to avoid their attack, but wasn't quick enough, and got slammed into by the assaulting Heartless. He slapped his tail a few times, trying to right himself in time to protect himself from the next attack. He caught one Heartless, performing a string of blows on it before he was assaulted by two more, allowing the other to escape.

The more Heartless that fell to his blade, their pink hearts floating up through the ocean water, the more he began to feel the strain of his efforts. And they just kept coming. _There's no limit to how many spawn, _he thought as he parried an attack before quickly jabbing the Keyblade forward to spear his opponent. _So that means there's only one way to end this._ Glancing over his shoulder, he called, "Shadow! Angel! Ariel! Focus your attacks on the spawning point instead!"

"Ok!" Ariel called back to him, while Shadow and Angel simply nodded their consent.

He whipped around, making a mad dash for the spear of darkness that marred the blue ocean. As he did, however, the Heartless seemed to turn their focus onto him. They swam in front of his path and turned on their tails, ready to attack him. Startled, he brought his blade up to push them back.

What he didn't count on were the ones coming at him from behind. He let out a cry of pain as the claws and jaws of Heartless ripped at him from behind. He flipped over so that his back faced the ocean floor, slashing his Keyblade upward to force back to Heartless assailing him. He quickly righted himself and spun in a circle with his Keyblade out, hitting and destroying the Heartless that surrounded him. As he was about to make a dash for the spawning point, however, he felt searing pain from the newly-acquired wounds on his back lance through him. _Great. I was just getting better, _he thought, trying to focus through the pain so that he could return to try and destroy the spawning point.

By now, however, the Heartless had spawned once more, and dashing towards both him and his teammates. Taking a deep breath, he struck out, hitting Heartless before whipping around to strike the ones coming at him from behind once more. Using this momentum, he swung around, bringing his Keyblade down in an arc across the angry Heartless. Where some fell, others simply rose, ready to fight him once more.

As he began to deliver another counter attack to try and push his way through to the spawning point once more, the pain from his new wounds lanced through him again. His back jerked into and arch and his hand released the Keyblade, a cry of pain emerging from his throat. _No…not now, _he hissed mentally as the Heartless converged on him. _I have to stop them…_ He fell through the water, the Heartless sailing over him. He thought he caught snippets of two voices, one of which he recognized as the voice who had guided him before; the one who had given him the seashell:

No! We have to help him!

We can't! We're stuck here!

Roxas!

He clenched his fists, his teeth gritted as he tried to ignore the pain. _I…I won't give up! I WILL protect them! _The Keyblade returned to his hand in a flash of light as the briefest of forgotten memories flashed through his mind, that of a friend fading away in his arms; _I WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN! _He righted himself suddenly, drawing on the power of his Limit, his voice calling out something he didn't understand, the name of a friend he didn't remember, "Xion!" Despite the pain that still burned like fire through his wounds, he shot upward, his blade glowing with light as he slashed it rapidly through Heartless. His Final Limit activated, the beams of light shooting outwards to slam directly into the spawning point. He did it again, the light that cut into the spawning point causing pieces to fly off. Drawing on the last of his strength, he performed the attack once more.

That final blast was the one that did it. It shattered the spawning point, and, with it, the Heartless. Panting, Roxas floated where he was. His vision was flickering, and he felt himself begin to fall through the water. "What's happening to me?" he questioned quietly. Then, darkness cloaked his vision, and he knew no more.

**He** returned to consciousness briefly to hear voices talking. "…pretty nasty wounds."

"Man, he was _just_ healing from before, too!"

"Hopefully, they won't affect him too much."

Then his grip on consciousness slipped away once more. The next time, he fully returned to consciousness. His eyes blinked several times as he tried to figure out where he was, feeling like he had after the Gummi ship crash in Cyrom. "Is this the castle?" he wondered.

"Yep," a familiar voice said from nearby. Roxas turned his head to see Shadow and Angel floating nearby. Shadow, grinning, lifted on object for him to see. "Water proof bandages."

"Thanks, Roxas," Angel said sarcastically, indicating the fresh bandages that now adorned his body.

Roxas laughed slightly, and attempted to sit up. As he did so, however, he felt the strain of the bandages that were now wrapped around his torso and left arm, along with a dull pain from the stretching wounds beneath said bandages. "Hey, take it slow," Shadow warned. "It's a good thing you don't bleed; if you did, you probably would've bled to death before we got you back."

"That bad?" Roxas exclaimed in surprise, sitting up a bit too quickly. He gritted his teeth, his breath hissing out from between them as he felt more pain run through him.

As he fell back, Angel replied, "Well, you were out for a few days, so…"

"What?" Again, his surprise caused him to try and jolt upward. This time, however, Shadow stopped him, forcing him back down. "Hey! You can get out of bed in a few days."

"I've already _been _in bed a few days," he informed her. "Sora and the others still need me."

"Still need _us_," Shadow and Angel corrected simultaneously.

The two looked at each other in surprise before Shadow said, "We're a team now."

"At least, for the time being," Angel added.

Roxas felt the prick of tears in his eyes, though, as usual, he didn't understand why. "Thanks, guys."

The two nodded, before turning around to leave. Angel stopped briefly before he left, however, turning around to ask, "By the way, what was that you yelled when you released the Limit?"

Roxas paused, his mind winging back to that moment. He remembered yelling something, but…he couldn't recall what. The whole battle seemed suddenly fuzzy, and hard for him to think about. "I don't know," he murmured.

"I see." Angel narrowed his eyes in thought and…fear? Then the metal-haired boy left him to himself.

**"Ok,** Doctor Shadow, am I fit?" Roxas sighed.

"Mmmm, fit enough," Shadow replied.

"Then it's time to head out."

"Not quite yet," a new voice added. The three turned their heads to see Ariel swimming towards them.

"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked, not failing to notice Angel's smirk and Shadow's broad smile.

"Well, we wanted to thank you for getting rid of the Heartless," Ariel began.

"And I told her that you'd never sung before," Shadow added, "so we came up with the idea that you and Ariel could sing a duet for the people of Atlantica."

"What?" Roxas exclaimed in surprise.

"We wanted you to get the chance to try singing," Shadow said with a grin.

"Yeah…but…"

"Great! See you in a few hours!" With that, the three were off, leaving Roxas to sigh and fall back onto the bed.

_**What** has Shadow gotten me into? _Roxas wondered as he looked out at the mer-people before him. "Relax," Ariel told him. "When the music starts, I'm sure you'll know what to do." When he didn't look too sure, she laughed. "Don't worry! You'll be fine!" Then the music began, and they had to start.

He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. It wasn't like fighting, where everything came naturally. Here, he'd been given lyrics to memorize in a few hours, then thrown in front of people to do something he'd never done before; sing. _Thanks, Shadow._ At first, he was nervous, and stumbled over the words. Then, after a time, he began to grow more confident. He lifted his voice, harmonizing with the music, and let his troubles fade to the back of his mind.

_There's the end of chapter twenty - nine. Yes, I left out lyrics for their duet. Why? Well…mostly because I didn't know what to make them sing. So…will you review, please?_

_Before you go though, here's a little teaser for what's coming up: Be prepared. The past is about to collide with the present. When unknown allies emerge and loyalties shift, the dark secrets of the past will be stirred back to life. Roxas's world is about to be shaken to its core. _


	30. Return

_So, then, here's chapter thirty! Thank you caitlinkeitorin, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, Clarilune, Sora Tayuya, Sunny Lighter, and CatchingForRain for reviewing last chapter!_

_And that teaser from last chapter…will span several chapters. But there are some big secrets revealed at the end, so I'm hoping you'll think it's worth the wait._

**Chapter Thirty: Return**

Lea stepped out of the dark portal to face the landscape of Hallow Bastion. "Home sweet home," he muttered. The usual smirk and cocky attitude, however, were gone. "So, the Nobodies will come to whoever has a will strong enough to control them now, huh?" He closed his eyes a few moments to focus, allowing himself to try and reach out to the Nobodies scattered across the various worlds. When he opened his eyes once more, he saw several had suddenly appeared before him, waiting expectantly for his orders.

"And what are you doing out here, Lea?" a voice asked.

Lea clenched his fists in frustration. "I could ask you the same thing, Kisue."

"We just thought we'd check up on you," a new voice replied.

"Yeah, Hilran? And who ordered that?"

"Zylen, actually," Kisue's voice replied.

Lea's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. The Nobodies, seeming to respond to the emotion emanating from him, quivered. "Well, you can tell him he doesn't have to worry. I'm going to force Roxas to tell us what we want."

"With Nobodies?" Hilran asked skeptically.

"You got a better idea?" Lea spat, finally turning around to face the two Time Racers.

They looked at each other before looking back. "We'll clear it with Zylen," Kisue said slowly, "and then we'll join you." Snorting, Lea turned away, listening as the sound of them leaving in time portals resounded behind them. He didn't care if Zylen cleared it. He just wanted to make sure they didn't forget him in their plans for the future, whatever they may be.

"**So, **where to next?" Angel asked tiredly. The trio had boarded the Gummi ship, and had since left Atlantica and where flying through space.

"I'd say…Hallow Bastion," Shadow said.

"Haven't we already been there?" Angel replied with a sigh.

"Yeah, but we're out of Merlin's magic." And to prove her point, she showed the two boys the empty bottle.

"Hallow Bastion it is," Roxas said, steering the ship in the general direction of the world.

"You know, that's a weird name," Shadow commented.

"It's real name is Radiant Garden," Roxas informed her. "But it's been called Hallow Bastion long enough so that the name sticks." Then the world came into sight, and he said no more, instead focusing on landing the Gummi ship on the world. As they neared the ground, he pulled the ship up and let it hover before it landed on the ground.

As the door opened, Shadow rushed out. "Come on, guys!" she exclaimed, dashing through the streets.

Angel shook his head as he watched her. "She has too much energy," he groaned before following her.

Roxas was about to do the same, when he thought he felt something shift behind him. "Huh?" He glanced back, searching for any signs of disturbance. When he saw nothing, he turned back around and followed after his companions. _My mind's playing tricks on me. I'm just paranoid, that's all, _he told himself.

He found Shadow and Angel at the door to the Hallow Bastion Restoration Committee's base. "Hey! Anybody home?" Shadow called, banging on the door.

"If they were home," her metal-haired companion informed her dryly, "they would've answered one of the last five times."

"Well, they might not have heard me!"

"Trust me, Shadow; they would've heard you."

The fact that the entire Restoration Committee didn't seem to be home put Roxas even more on edge. "Something's not right," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Shadow asked, obviously having just made out that he'd spoken.

Roxas shook his head, warning, "Just keep an eye out. I don't like this." His two companions nodded, and together the three turned to go through the streets of Hallow Bastion/Radiant Garden.

"Look out!" a voice suddenly cried from behind them. Acting on instinct, Roxas whipped around, simultaneously summoning the Keyblade and whipping it in an arc through the air as he did so. His blade collided with an oncoming Assassin Nobody, which coiled away from him at his strike. It seemed to hiss at him before diving towards him.

It never reached him, however. A loud bang resounded through the air. The Nobody suddenly twitched, before coiling in on itself and fading away to darkness. Standing some distance away, gun blade still raised, was Leon. "Thanks," Roxas called to him.

"Don't thank me just yet," he informed him as more Nobodies swarmed towards them.

"Well? Let's do this!" Shadow cried, jumping forward with claw gauntlets forward. Angel slid by on Roxas's other side, summoning his daggers as he did so. Roxas felt his grip tightening around the hilt of his weapon, before launching forward himself.

The first Nobody his blade came into contact with was a Dusk. The tip of the Keyblade was plunged into the deformed gray body, causing the Nobody to give out a shrill cry before fading away. He whipped around, the Keyblade quickly parrying the strike of an Assassin. He jumped forward, his blade coming down in and arc across the Nobody's body. The Assassin, as before, coiled away from him at the strike, before lunging forward. He ducked aside, then jumped up towards the Nobody. Gripping the Keyblade with both hands, he brought it up to cut through his opponent, effectively defeating it. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he spun in a circle with his Keyblade out, standing as he did so, to force back oncoming Nobodies. Shadow, Angel, and Leon, seeing their chance, struck.

With the Nobodies now gone, Roxas allowed the Keyblade to leave. "Cid was talking about you three," Leon informed him. "You're Roxas, Shadow, and Angel, right?"

"That's us!" Shadow replied.

"And you are?" Angel asked.

"Leon."

"What's happening here?" Roxas asked. "With…the Nobodies."

Leon's eyes narrowed slightly, and he glanced back the way he had come before speaking. "Let's go in to talk. The others will show up any minute." Curious, Roxas and the others followed him into the Restoration Committee's base.

They didn't have to prompt Leon to start explaining. "It was unexpected. One day, they just appeared, without any warning."

"Probably like the others did in other worlds," Angel commented quietly to Shadow and Roxas.

"Was there anyone else with them?" Roxas asked.

"Yuffie said she saw a man with dark red hair, and some of the others caught glimpses of people in white, blue, and gold."

"Time Racers," Angel hissed out through clenched teeth.

"And Lea," Shadow added. She frowned. "I wonder what they're doing here."

Roxas had his mind on other things. _We could make a trade. Information for information. _Those had been Zylen's words. Maybe…he could get the information on how to get back to Time Castle and free Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Two problems arose to confront him, however; one, what the information the Time Racers would want in return, and two, whether or not they'd even give him the information at all.

"I think he zoned out again," Shadow's voice commented, jolting him out of his thoughts.

Shaking his head, as if that would clear it, he replied, "I'm just thinking about ways to maybe get back to Time Castle."

"Any ideas?" Angel asked.

Absently, he reached a hand into his pocket and fingered the seashell. Should he tell them? Deciding quickly, he grasped the shell and pulled it out, for the first time letting the eyes of others fall upon it. "This shell, I got it when I battled Zylen in Olympus Coliseum. That's where he first offered to trade information."

"Discard that idea now," Angel said firmly. "Any trade with the Time Racers will only end badly."

"How'd you get the shell?" Leon asked.

"It just appeared," Roxas murmured.

"Where there any other things that appeared like this?"

Nodding hesitantly, and beginning to wish he hadn't shone them the seashell in the first place, he pulled out the note. "It came to me at Nottingham," he muttered quietly.

"'The gate can only be closed by entering and becoming the sacrifice,'" Leon read aloud, "'the noble only saved by the hands of time.'" He snorted as he refolded the paper and handed it back to Roxas. "Seems like someone thought it was important you saw it."

"Why didn't you tell us about them before?" Angel asked. Roxas shrugged, looking away. In truth, the two items just felt somewhat personal, but he wasn't sure how to explain that to them.

He was saved from explaining by Shadow. "Oh, come on! You never tell us anything about _your _past, do you?"

"Not true. You've forced parts out of me."

"Exactly. _Forced_."

"Do you have any idea who these items could've come from?" Leon asked, effectively stopping the argument before it got any further.

At that moment, however, the door opened once more, and several people came through. "Well, if it ain't Roxas, Shadow, and Angel. How've you been?" Cid said, grinning.

"Hi, Cid!" Shadow said, grinning in turn. Then she turned her gray-eyed gaze to Merlin, who had followed him in. "Um…we could use some more of that bottled magic."

"Don't you think there are more important things to think about now?" Angel asked in exasperation.

"It's fine," Merlin said. "I can give you some right now, if you'd like."

"Thanks!" Shadow said, and she jumped up to follow the wizard as he headed out of the room.

"Yuffie," Leon said, addressing the final person who had entered, "how are things around town."

"Well, there are still a lot of Nobodies," she replied, "but we haven't seen anything of those other weirdoes lately."

"Interesting," Leon said thoughtfully.

"Oh, and one more thing," Yuffie added. When all gazes, save those of Merlin and Shadow had returned to her, she added, "There's an old friend who's here to see us."

"Really?" Roxas asked, unable to stop the surprised question. He glanced around, thinking he must have missed someone enter.

"Yep," Yuffie replied with a grin. Glancing behind her, she said, "Come on! Everyone's waiting."

Just as Merlin and Shadow came back, Shadow carrying a bottle of magic in her hands, a new figure walked through the door and into the room, one that surprised everyone. Shadow, however, was the one who expressed it vocally. "King Mickey!"

The King smiled at them. "Hey, fellas. What's been happening while I've been gone?"

_And there's the end of chapter thirty! So, what do you think? Reviews would be great, please!_


	31. The King's Letter

_Here's chapter thirty-one! Thank you CatchingForRain, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, Sora Tayuya, and Confizzledworld for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Thirty - one: The King's Letter**

"What are you doing here, your Majesty?" Roxas asked.

"Well, you know how you guys said Sora, Riku, and Kairi were captured by the Time Racers?" King Mickey asked.

"Yeah," Shadow replied.

"Well, I wondered why they'd go off to Time Castle," Mickey continued. "I asked Merlin, an he said that you told him they'd gotten a letter. I'd wondered if it had been my letter, but I didn't know where they'd get Time Castle from."

"You sent a letter?" Roxas asked. His voice, for once, took on the emotionless tone a Nobody was supposed to have.

The King nodded. "That's right."

"Why?" Shadow and Angel asked at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise before turning back to King Mickey for the answer.

"Well, you see, something strange was happening with Jimminy's Journal. All that was left in it were the words 'We must return to free them from their torment.'"

"Why would they be there?" Angel asked thoughtfully.

"That's what we wondered, too. So, we digitalized the contents of the journal to find out their origins, sending a Data Sora in to find out the truth. When we did, I wrote Sora, Riku, and Kairi a letter to tell them about what we found."

"But the letter they got sounded nothing like that," Roxas murmured, knowing exactly where this was going.

"That's what I guessed," Mickey said in reply. "Did the letter they _did_ get have my seal on it?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'd guess the Time Racers found my letter and took it," Mickey concluded, "duplicating the seal and putting it on a letter of their own."

"All to get Sora and the others to Time Castle," Roxas finished.

"That about sums it up."

The golden haired Nobody shook his head. "I don't understand, though. Why did the Time Racers need them? What do they want?"

"Gosh, I wish I could answer that," Mickey said quietly.

"Hey, when you told us about your past, didn't you say something about a place called Kingdom Hearts?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah," Roxas replied.

"Well, if that really has that much power, maybe that's why they captured them! To get Kingdom Hearts!"

Roxas was shaking his head before she was done. "No. If they'd really wanted Kingdom Hearts, they would've just let Sora and the others be. Eventually, whenever they did get the King's letter, they'd go out and probably end up collecting the hearts needed."

There were a few moments of silence before Angel cut in with a few words of his own. "Well, regardless of why they captured the Keyblade Masters, they're still here now, with Lea and Nobodies."

"The Time Racers are here?" Mickey exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, forgot you didn't know that," Shadow said, though she didn't seem at all repentant by this fact.

"Then we have no time to waste," Mickey added.

"Right," Angel agreed with a nod. "For the moment, we have to focus on the present. We can worry about the future after the Time Racers have left."

As the group talked about ways to get rid of the Time Racers, however, they didn't know they were being watched. The Dusk remained there, hidden, a few moments more, before spiraling away, towards where its new master was waiting.

"**Kingdom **Hearts, huh?" Lea murmured thoughtfully as the Dusk informed him of what it'd heard.

_Yes, my liege, _the Dusk replied.

"So, that's the thing all you Nobodies were always after."

_Yes, my liege._ "Hmm." Lea's emerald eyes narrowed in thought. "Well, this could be useful. Maybe we should start making this thing, if it's really that powerful." The Dusk shivered, doing a quick spiral at the idea of forming Kingdom Hearts before landing on its feet once more. Lea smirked. "It would certainly be a way to make sure the Time Racers didn't forget about me."

"Now, what are you up to, Lea?" a voice asked from behind him.

Startled, he whipped around the see Hilran walking towards him. "Just asking this Dusk what it saw."

"Really?" Hilran asked skeptically. "And what did it tell you?"

"That the Keyblade Master's Nobody and his friends are here."

Hilran's eyes narrowed. "Those little rats will have to be dealt with," she hissed. "I don't see why Zylen doesn't just kill them now."

"He needs information," Lea replied calmly, inwardly smirking at the new information that _he_ now held.

"We could get the information from others places," Hilran growled, her voice laced with her frustration.

An idea sparked into life within the depths of Lea's mind. "Hey, Hilran," he began slowly, "why don't we team up, you and I?"

She turned towards him slowly, an eyebrow arching upwards. "I thought we were already on the same team."

"You don't like Zylen much," Lea continued, choosing his words carefully. It was like treading across a mine field; one false step, and everything blows up in your face. "I bet that together, we could take him down. Then we'd be able to do what we like."

To his surprise, he saw fear sparking in her eyes. "N-no," she said quickly, shaking her head.

"Are you afraid?" he scoffed.

"Yes," she admitted, surprising him again, "and if you had any sense at all, you'd be, too." With that, a time portal enveloped her, transporting her away from the scene.

"What was that about?" Lea snorted, shaking his head,

_My liege?_ the Dusk asked, looking at him expectantly.

Lea waved his hand. "You're free to go. Oh, and, about Kingdom Hearts? Let's just keep that between us."

**Xion **folded her hands behind her back, a sigh escaping her. "There's just no way I can help, is there?" she whispered despondently.

"You've already helped a lot," her companion informed her.

"But I can't help them fight," she replied quietly. "I can't watch their backs, and protect them if anything goes wrong."

"That's not your fault," her companion replied. "After all, you didn't _choose _to come here."

Xion looked to the stained glass floor of the Station beneath her feet. "No, I was sent here."

After a few moments of silence, the other figure in the station walked up to her and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Listen, even if you can't fight with them, you can still be with them in spirit."

She closed her eyes, choosing not to look at the other by her side. "You can go to other Stations, can't you? Then…is there any way you could leave, and help them fight?"

A sigh. "Xion, you know I can't."

"I guess so," she murmured. Unbidden, a tear slipped from beneath her eyelid. She brushed it away quickly, but it didn't go unnoticed. Slowly, her companion turned away to go through the entryway to anther Station.

However, plans were formulating in this one's mind, plans of contacting Roxas. It was time for the second voice to be heard.

"**So,** after all that talking and planning, we still have…nothing," Angel said dryly.

"Not true," Shadow objected.

"Shadow, ding-dong-ditch is not an idea."

"Yes it is!"

"No, it's not."

"Don't start," Roxas warned, giving both of them hard glares. "Not now."

"Actually," Leon said slowly, "Shadow may have something going there."

"See?" Shadow cried smugly. Angel, mouth agape, was stunned to silence.

"Not in the idea of playing ding-dong-ditch," Leon informed her, which did little to deflate her, "but in the idea that maybe a hit and run strategy would be the best approach."

"How would we manage that, though?" Roxas queried, his mind already working over the possibilities. "We don't know where they're making their base at, so we couldn't strike there. We could attack a large amount of Nobodies, but that probably won't be effective enough." He paused, narrowing his eyes as he thought. Then an idea burst into life in his mind, and a wide grin split his face. "But if we used someone as bait, then…" he trailed off, letting the others finish his sentence with thoughts of their own.

Shadow had a mischievous grin stretched across her face. "They'll be the ones in a trap this time!" she crowed.

"Not so loud," Angel hissed in warning. "You never know who's listening in."

"It's an idea," Leon replied. "One person out in the open to lure them in, the others lying in wait to ambush them."

"We make a quick, precise attack," Yuffie added, "then make a run for it."

"And regroup for their counterattack," Roxas added with a nod.

"It's a good plan," Leon conceded.

"But who's going to be the bait?" King Mickey asked.

"I'll do it!" Shadow replied enthusiastically.

Angel sighed, running a hand through his metallic hair. "No, Shadow. You'd be too loud."

She looked at him curiously. "Don't we want loud?"

"Yes, but not suspicious loud."

She frowned. "What? You want to do it, then?"

He gritted his teeth. "That…probably wouldn't be the best idea, either," he replied. "Roxas seems like the one their most interested in; he should be the one to do it."

All eyes now focused themselves on the golden haired Nobody. He nodded his consent. "I'll do it." This way, he'd also get to ask questions of his own.

"Then let's go," Leon said, heading to the door.

"What, already?" Shadow exclaimed.

"The sooner this is over, the better," he replied, walking out and leaving the others to follow. As Roxas got up, however, he heard a voice. The voice resonated through his head, like that of the one that had guided him. This one, however, was distinctly different:

Roxas, be warned; sometimes in order to save the future, you must face the past.

He paused, suddenly finding he recognized that voice. It was the second voice he'd heard with the more familiar one; the one that had been guiding him. He looked behind him, eyes clouded with worry as he reached a hand into his pocket to finger the mysterious seashell. Then he began after the others, the words of the second voice ringing through his head.

_That's the end of chapter thirty-one. What do you think so far? Reviews would be great!_


	32. Face the Sun

_Here's chapter thirty - two! Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, blackhawk11, Yolen Yui, Korstine, Sora Tayuya, and Confizzledworld for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Thirty - Two: Face the Sun**

Roxas lifted his blue eyes to the sky as his companions, one by one, drifted away to find places to wait for their strike. He was left to walk alone through Radiant Garden. His hand was still in his pocket, fingers running over the seashell and brushing the paper. _Not alone, _his mind whispered. Right now, though, that didn't seem to matter; his mind was too muddled to pay attention to that fact.

He grimaced as his mind turned over what he planned to do. He was sure that at least one of his companions would be furious at him for doing it. He wasn't sure he had a choice, though. If he wanted to get back to Time Castle and free the others, this was the best way. He tried constantly to convince himself that whatever problems arose afterwards could be dealt with.

He wasn't succeeding.

As the darkness of night encroached upon the world, the air became laced with cold. He shivered slightly against it, but kept moving on. Shaking his head to try and clear it, he thought to himself, _This is crazy. I know what will bring them running, so why do I just keep walking? _The answer presented itself to him quite quickly. _Because I'm afraid._ He found himself shaking his head again. "That's crazy, too," he muttered. "I'm a Nobody; I _can't _feel fear." And, in an effort to prove it to himself, he came to an abrupt halt. Lifting his head to the heavens, he called, "Come on out, Time Racers! I…I want to talk to you about something."

When no one materialized after his call, he lowered his head. "Thought that would work," he muttered under his breath.

"Are you sure it didn't?" a voice hissed.

Roxas's head shot up at the sound. Before him, two time portals erupted, leaving behind the forms of Hilran and Kisue. Hilran narrowed her eyes at him. "Normally I wouldn't do this," she hissed, "but, normally, people don't go around shouting that they want to talk to their enemies."

He decided to cut straight to the point, not giving himself any time to rethink his decision. Silently, he pleaded with his friends to stay put. "Your leader, Zylen, offered to make a trade with me; information for information."

Kisue's eyes gleamed in the darkness. "So, that's it, then. You finally want to learn more about your past, eh?"

"No," Roxas amended quickly.

"Then what?" Hilran hissed at him.

"I want to get back to Time Castle."

The two Time Racers looked surprised at his response. They both looked at each other a few moments before bursting into harsh laughter. Roxas gritted his teeth against the sound. "What's so funny?"

"And you think we'll just let you waltz in and set the Keybladers free after we tell you?" Hilran asked.

"No," Roxas responded, his tone level. "And that's another thing; why do you need Sora and the others? What's to gain from keeping them captive?"

"You'd just love to know that, wouldn't you?" Kisue responded.

Hilran narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. "If Zylen offered a trade, then I guess we'll have to honor it if you choose to accept it."

"You first," Roxas said immediately.

"What? You don't trust us?" Kisue asked, mocking hurt. The Nobody glared at him. "Apparently not."

"Alright, getting the barrier down is fairly simple," Hilran responded. She pulled something out of her cloak that appeared to be a shard of crystal. "This allows any who touch it to pass through the barrier. Both are interesting devices, aren't they? We were lucky to find them when we came to Time Castle." Roxas made to grab for it, but quickly concealed it once more. "_Information_, remember?" she told him smugly, eyes glinting with dark light.

"That's why you weren't afraid to tell me," Roxas hissed, mentally kicking himself for being so stupid.

"And here I thought you were the smarter half," Kisue responded with a taunting smile.

"Shut up!" Roxas snapped at him, summoning the Kingdom Key.

"We had a deal," Hilran informed him coldly as she eyed the weapon. "Now it's our turn; how do we use people's hearts?"

"What?" Roxas asked, confusion at the question causing his stance to momentarily relax.

"We want to know how to utilize the power in someone's heart."

"I don't know," Roxas informed them truthfully. He felt - or, at least, thought he felt - a sense of relief wash over him that he could keep from giving them dangerous information without breaking the deal.

The Time Racers didn't seem to believe he was telling the truth, though. "We had a deal!" Hilran repeated, more angrily this time. She lunged forward, summoning her pole-arm.

Roxas blocked her strike. "I'm telling the truth!" he snapped.

"But you wouldn't tell us if you did know," Kisue guessed. Roxas stayed silent at that, instead focusing on forcing Hilran back. "So it's true." Kisue summoned his giant hammer and jumped forward, ready to attack.

Roxas, however, had no intention of fighting alone. "Now!"

Immediately, the others jumped out from their hiding places, weapons ready. The two Time Racers paused in their assault, eyes widening in horror as they realized the trap they'd walked into. They began to try and form time portals to escape, but were stop by weapon blows before they could finish.

Suddenly, something struck Roxas from behind. He let out a cry of pain as the weapon grazed his shoulder, flying by to bounce off a rock and land on the sandy ground. "Well, we meet again, Nobody," a familiar voice hissed.

Roxas narrowed his eyes whipping around in time to block the next Chakram that was sent flying his way. "Lea," he snarled.

"Why such a cold welcome?" Lea asked mockingly, calling his Chakrams back to him in bursts of darkness. "Maybe it's time to turn up the heat!" With that, his Chakrams burst into flame, and he lunged forward. Roxas ducked away, spinning around as he did so to catch Lea in the shoulder. The former Heartless was sent flying, giving Roxas time to lunge forward. He brought his Keyblade across Lea in a series of strikes, preventing him from landing any blows until a gap opened in his combo. Lea took this opportunity, striking with his flaming Chakrams to send him flying backwards.

Emerald eyes bore into him, darkness in their depths. "I won't let them forget about me!" he hissed, seemingly more to himself than his opponent. "I won't just be tossed away when I'm no longer useful." He lifted his arms, Chakrams still clasped in his hands. Nobodies spawned around him. "Even if that means having to beat the information we need out of you, _I will do it_!" With that, he surged forward, the Nobodies following suit.

Roxas quickly spun in a circle, Keyblade sticking out to try and force his enemies back. He kicked out at a stray Nobody, letting his momentum spun him around to cut clean through another. He reached out mentally, trying to find his link to the Samurais. However, it seemed as if that, like his ability to change forms, was broken. Narrowing his eyes, he returned his focus to the fight. He brought his Keyblade up in an arc, cutting through Nobodies, before spinning and landing in a low crouch. As Nobodies converged on him, he shot straight up, bringing his Keyblade up in a powerful strike as he did so.

Suddenly, something struck him from behind. Pain seared through him, and he rolled through the air, ending up landing awkwardly on his side. Lea looked at him with cold triumph. "You'll tell me," he hissed, "or I'll ignore Zylen's orders to keep you alive."

"I won't help you," Roxas hissed.

"You're a fool!" Lea snarled, kicking Roxas away like a beaten dog. "Why would you choose death?"

Roxas grimaced as pain from his recent wounds in Atlantica surged through him. "I don't know what you're doing," he groaned, struggling to a kneeling position, "only that the result won't be good." He raised himself onto one knee. "I'd sooner fade into darkness than hurt others." He brought his other foot under him, and forced himself into a standing position, feeling power suddenly beginning to surge through him from deep within his body.

"Then this is it!" Lea snarled in reply, bringing one flaming Chakram up to strike.

However, the blow never hit. Light flared around Roxas, momentarily blinding both the Nobody and the former Heartless. When the light faded, the flames covering the two Chakrams had extinguished, and Roxas stood covered in the armor of Sunrise form. The light radiating from the grooves in the armor illuminated the darkness of the night, forcing Lea to narrow his eyes.

Roxas lunged forward, his blade grasped tightly with both hands and a battle cry tearing its way from his throat. He brought the Kingdom Key forward to strike Lea, sending a shockwave of light exploding from the impact point. He drew the blade upward, then brought it quickly down. The man was forced back, falling with a thud to the ground.

Unfortunately, though Lea was momentarily stunned, the Nobodies were still in full motion, forcing Roxas to keep moving. "Roxas!" a voice cried. He glanced over to see Shadow beckoning him. "We need to go!" He nodded and, forcing back one more Nobody, and ran towards where she stood. As he reached her, she turned and ran down the deserted paths.

"Get ready," Angel hissed as he dropped back to join them. "You know they'll counterattack."

"Then we'll just beat them back," Shadow replied. Looking at Roxas's glowing form, she added, "Let's see if they can face the sun."

And, looking forward, it seemed as if the light of his armor burned within the depths of his eyes.

**Hilran** was furious.

"I can't believe they caught us off guard!" she snarled, pacing agitatedly back and forth.

"They won't again," Kisue responded tightly.

"No," she agreed, eyes narrowed in rage. "That…that _Nobody_," she spat out the word, "even got how to get back to Time Castle out of us."

"But he can't get back," Kisue reminded her.

"Oh no, not yet," Hilran replied. "But how long before we have to start worrying if he gets one of the crystals?"

"Stop worrying," Lea growled from where he sat unceremoniously in the dirt. "He'll never get a crystal."

"Says the man who got his ass kicked!" The Time Racer stopped her pacing, pointing an accusing finger at the red head. "I have _plenty _I'd like to say to you!"

"Yeah, well, don't we have other things to worry about?" Lea asked, hoping to put off getting yelled at for a time.

"Revenge," Hilran hissed through gritted teeth.

"We can't just jump in unprepared," Kisue informed her. His eyes narrowed angrily. "Much as we might want to."

"Then what?" she hissed.

"Do what they did," he responded. "They'll obviously be expecting a counterattack. So we send the Nobodies to draw their attention, while the rest of us use portals to come up behind them and catch them off guard."

"And finding them?" Hilran asked. Though her fists were clenched tightly, she seemed to have calmed down.

"That Nobody glows enough to spot him anywhere in this darkness," Lea replied nonchalantly, waving his hand to indicate the night. "There's nowhere they can hide."

Hilran nodded, her eyes glowing with her anger. Kisue, however, narrowed his eyes. He'd heard the words Lea had said to Roxas, and Hilran had informed him of what he'd asked her to do. Perhaps it was time he gave this gamble Lea was playing new stakes.

_That's the end of chapter thirty - two. Reviews would be great!_


	33. Lingering Sentiment

_Here's chapter thirty - three! Thank you Flightfoot, Flara, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Confizzledworld, caitlinkeitorin, and Clarilune for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Thirty - Three: Lingering Sentiment**

The group gathered together again at the base of the castle that had once been Maleficent's base. As predicted, Angel was furious. "Why the hell did you agree to bargain with them?" he spat, brown eyes blazing.

Suddenly, something - which looked to Roxas to be a shoe - came flying and hit the metal-haired boy in the head. "Hey! Stop swearing!" Shadow called, coming up to collect her shoe.

"You threw a shoe at me?" Angel asked, glancing at her darkly.

"Yeah," she replied, unconcerned as she slipped the shoe back onto her foot.

Angel shook his head in frustration. He turned his glare back to Roxas, who, by this point, was feeling uneasy. "This was the best way I could think of to find out how to get back," he tried to explain. "If we had just gone on as we'd been, we may never have found out."

"Um, I don't usually agree with Angel," Shadow said, seeming uncharacteristically quiet, "but he does kind of have a point."

"You took a risk," Angel growled, eyes narrowed, "one that could have ended very badly. Would getting them free have been worth it?"

He knew this already. He just hadn't wanted to stop to think about it. "I'm sorry," he murmured, looking away.

Shadow sighed. "Well, at least I get why you did it."

"It doesn't matter _why _he did it!" Angel snapped, surprising Roxas into turning his head back to them. "Do you realize how many could have paid for it?" Something in the back of his eyes flickered, like that of a dark memory. Without waiting for either to answer, he whipped around and stalked away.

Shadow frowned as she stared after him. "What's his problem?"

Roxas shrugged, as confused as she was. _This seems to be a reoccurring pattern, _he thought with a sigh.

Leon gave a dry cough, drawing their attention to him. "If you three are done arguing," he said, "then we have to figure out what to do when they counterattack."

"Fight, of course!" Shadow said with the cheeky grin that said she was back to her old self.

"It won't be easy," the King informed her. "After all, this time, we don't have the advantage of surprise."

"We won't know until they come," Roxas replied. Glancing at his glowing armor, he added, "I'm sure it won't be long."

**It was **just past midnight when the first Nobodies appeared.

They'd put one person on guard, and decided to take shifts so the others could sleep and be prepared. It was Shadow who woke the others up. "Guys! I see Nobodies!"

Roxas opened his eyes and sprang upward, though he'd never really been asleep in the first place. As his companions stirred around him, he dashed forward to join Shadow. As he stood beside her, she shielded his eyes and teased, "Geez! Can't you turn that thing down?"

Ignoring the comment about his armor, he narrowed his eyes as he stared out across the horizon at the shadows streaking towards them. "I don't see the Time Racers or Lea," he murmured.

"What? You can actually make them out?" Shadow asked, looking closer out at the shapes streaking towards them.

"Not details, but I can see their shapes. None of them look human enough."

Shadow shrugged. "Maybe they're scared."

The Nobodies were drawing too close now, so there was no more time to talk. Roxas summoned the Kingdom Key and prepared himself for the onslaught of Nobodies as the remainder of his companions came to stand beside him. The Nobodies flung themselves forward, bearing down fiercely upon their opponents. He swung his Keyblade at the first one he met, sending a shockwave of light through its deformed gray frame. It shivered, and he thrust his Keyblade forward, point out, to cut through it. It quivered before fading away to darkness once more. Grimacing, Roxas whipped around to let his Keyblade connect with the next Nobody.

_They're doing the same thing we did, _he thought, his mental voice laced with frustration. _But with those portals, they could come up anywhere._ As he warded off the Nobodies, he whipped wildly around, eyes always searching for the sign that the Time Racers or Lea had appeared to take part in the battle. However, for the moment, only the Nobodies attacked.

That didn't last for long, though. Roxas's ears caught the tell-tale sound of a corridor of darkness opening behind him. He didn't waste any time in whipping around to slam his Keyblade into the man that emerged from it. Lea fell back, startled, as Roxas prepared himself for the next strike. Lea looked up at him, laughing suddenly. "Guess it's not so surprising that you didn't fall for that trick."

The newer but still unfortunately familiar sound of a time portal opening forced him to whip around once more, Keyblade already striking as the Time Racer that emerged from it came out. Hearing another time portal opening, he let his momentum carry around to hit the second Time Racer. As this Time Racer, who happened to be Hilran, fell back, she laughed. "Very good, _Nobody,_" she mocked, "but you'll need to do better than that to defeat us." She jumped into another time portal before Roxas could strike her again.

"Light always shines brightest in the dark," Lea added with a smirk as Roxas whipped around to face him once more. The former Heartless began to back into the shadows, adding, "That makes it all the easier for the rest of us to find."

The golden haired Nobody lunged forward, but, to his surprise, his blade swept through empty air. A blow came from behind, and he whipped around to attack what had struck him, but the person had already vanished. Almost simultaneously, another blow struck him on his side. Roxas tried to strike at this one, but he was quickly hit with a powerful blow across his back. Gritting his teeth against the groan of pain that threatened to escape him, he ducked low and spun in a circle, letting that eventually bring him to his feet once more. He heard cries of surprise as his attacks hit home. Hoping to strike before they recovered, he launched himself forward.

That's when the weapon hit him. The Chakram hit his back, impacting with enough force to break through the armor of Sunrise form. The weapon didn't go far into the bloodless skin beneath, but it was enough to aggravate the old wounds that lined his back. His back arced suddenly, his head unintentionally raising and a cry of pain escaping his lips. Sunrise form disappeared in an explosive burst of light, leaving the Nobody to fall to his knees. The Chakram, now loosened, fell into the dirt beside him.

"Told you so," Lea's voice said. Glancing up, Roxas could see his emerald eyes gleaming in the darkness. It was all he could do to raise his Keyblade to block the blow he knew would come.

**Far **from the battle, a broken suit of armor knelt in a deserted graveyard. It's Keyblade, stuck point-first into the soft earthen ground, was held tightly between two armored hands. A soft rasping sound that may have been breathing, or perhaps just a trick of the wind, emanated around the area.

Suddenly, the consciousness inside the armor felt a familiar presence. Confusion raced through him as the helmet slowly raised. Hadn't he sent her to a place where she'd be safe?

Standing before him was the specter of the black-haired girl who had once shared this desolate graveyard with him; the one he'd come to know as Xion. Looking at her, with tears steaming from her eyes, he couldn't help but ask:

What are you doing here? What happened to the Station I sent you to? She looked at him sadly. "I'm chained there," she informed him, causing him to jolt in surprise. "Just like I was once chained here." She shook her head, small droplets of water flying from the corners of her eyes. "Roxas…" she broke off, seemingly trying to gain control of her voice, and tried again. "Roxas is battling difficult enemies, and losing. The rest of his companions are occupied with enemies of their own, and unable to help him. He'll die…" she trailed off, clenching her fists against her sides. "And I can't help him."

Seeing her distress, the consciousness inside the armor forced himself into a standing position, pulling his Keyblade out of the dirt and saying these words:

But I can.

Then, he stepped forward, using all the force of his will to create a portal to where he sensed the fighting, though he could never say how.

What he didn't know, however, was that the hearts of two others responded to his movements; the hearts of two friends, nearly forgotten in the dregs of his memories. They, too, knew that the Lingering Sentiment would fight again.

"**Roxas!" **He dimly heard the combined voices of Shadow and Angel over the clash of metal as he blocked Lea's strike.

The dark man smirked down at him. "Do you really think that will be enough?" And he prepared to strike again, only to find his blow once again blocked.

This time, however, it was by a Keyblade that did not belong to Roxas. A figure clad in a suit of armor emerged from a portal, massive Keyblade catching the Chakram and forcing Lea back. As the suit of armor landed in front of Roxas, he looked up at it in shock. Slowly, it's owner glanced backwards. Suddenly, he heard a male's voice echoing through his mind, asking a question comprised of one word:

Ven?

"Huh?" Roxas asked in surprise.

The owner of the armor was forced to turn his attention back to the fight as Hilran struck at him. "And what are you supposed to be?" she asked harshly. "Another nameless voice from the past?"

"It will take more than broken armor to beat us," Kisue added as he prepared to strike with his hammer.

His blow was intercepted, however, by Shadow. "What? You forgot about us already?"

"You wouldn't think we'd be hard to remember," Angel added as he forced Hilran back with his daggers. Roxas, gritting his teeth against the pain, forced himself to his feet and swung the Kingdom Key at Lea, sending the former Heartless flying backwards.

"You little pests!" Hilran hissed angrily as she dashed forward to strike at them.

The armor - clad warrior intercepted her strike with his Keyblade. He glanced back at them, silence emanating from him for a few moments. Then,

I will protect you.

Roxas blinked in surprise. He glanced at his two companions, and saw that they, too, held his confused look. The owner of the armor forced Hilran back, swinging with a powerful blow at the Time Racer. With his attention focused on her, however, he didn't notice Lea coming up to strike him from behind. As the Chakram hit, it sent small shards of metal flying through the air. "We'll see about that," Lea hissed.

That distraction was enough. Kisue disappeared through a time portal, reappearing soon after before the suit of armor. He swung his hammer in a powerful blow across it. And, before their eyes, the armor of the Lingering Sentiment fell apart.

"**Zylen?"** Domian asked as he approached the leader of the Time Racers.

"Yes, Domian?" Zylen asked, hardly giving him a glance, his eyes focused on the Keyblade glowing in the sphere of darkness.

"Kisue has informed me of some problems with Lea," Domian began. "He doesn't seem to be afraid of disobeying your orders to keep Roxas alive, and even tried to convince Hilran to side with him to kill you."

Zylen narrowed his eyes. A pause stretched between the two Time Racers before Zylen finally spoke up. "What do you do to stop a puppet from moving?"

"Sir?" Domian asked in surprise.

The leader of the Time Racers finally turned around to face him, eyes blazing with darkness. "You cut the strings."

**The **trio stood with their mouths agape as they saw the armor blown apart, with nothing inside left behind. "How…?" Shadow asked, looking to her companions seeking answers. Unfortunately, they had none.

Hilran laughed at them. "Oh, how fitting!" Her laughter stopped abruptly, and her eyes narrowed. She glanced to Kisue. Her fellow Time Racer nodded, as if sharing some unknown understanding. Then, smirking, she said, "Bye, Lea."

"What?" the dark man asked in surprise as the two Time Racers disappeared into time portals. He whipped back around to face the three who stood before him.

"Looks like your 'friends' left," Angel said, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Lea took a few steps backwards. "What are you…?" His eyes flickered nervously. "You can't kill me!" he cried. "I have information you should know. Zylen told me himself." As surprise registered on his opponent's faces, he added, "About all the lies you've been told about your past, Roxas. About Xion."

The azure eyes of the Nobody narrowed. "Why don't you guys just shut up about that?"

"It's true!" Lea exclaimed. He turned his green gaze to Angel, and, pointing a finger, added, "If you don't believe me, ask him."

Roxas and Shadow turned surprised gazes to Angel. "What's he talking about?" she asked.

"What, you didn't tell them?" Lea asked, seeming to grow more confident. "You didn't tell them you were just using them? That you're a Time Racer, too?"

"What?" Shadow cried. Whipping her head back around, she glared at Lea. The next words she spoke had more vehemence in them than Roxas had ever heard her use before. "You're lying! Angel wouldn't do that to us! He-"

"Stop, Shadow," the metal - haired boy said, cutting her off. She whirled around, eyes widening in surprise as she looked into his.

"It's not true, is it?" she asked, looking from Angel to Lea and back again. He looked away, seemingly unable to meet her gaze.

"Angel," Roxas said, "is it true?"

Angel glanced up, his gaze locking onto both of them. Then, reaching out, he grabbed each of their arms.

The next thing Roxas knew, he was enveloped in cold space. He shut his eyes tightly against the sudden chill. When he blinked them open again, he saw a new scene before him. An image of him, clad in his uniform form the Organization, was kneeling on the ground in Twilight Town, arms holding a black-clad girl. "This is an image of times that have past," Angel said quietly. Roxas glanced at him, then returned his gaze to the scene, his vision seeming to focus in on the girl. "Of a friend who long since faded away."

As the girl began to crystallize, memories slowly began to come back to him; times spent up on the clock tower, with this girl and Axel; battles fought beside her; a time when, once, she couldn't remember how to use her Keyblade, and he'd had to lend her his; searching desperately for her when she disappeared. And a battle, fought against her, his best friend. Tears slipped from his eyes and down his cheeks, blurring his vision until it was hard to see anything but the light that radiated from the fading girl that he had once held in his arms. "No!" he cried, as desperate now as he was then to keep her from fading away. However, the result would always be the same; the past could never be changed. The girl's light faded away; her final light, absorbed into the empty sky, leaving behind only a seashell to remember her by. Just like the one in his pocket.

Tears streaming down his cheeks, he muttered one broken word, his voice coinciding with the specter of the past; "Xion."

_That's the end of chapter thirty - three…ug, that was a hard chapter for me to write. Reviews would be great, please!_


	34. Birth of the Time Racers

_Here's chapter thirty - four. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Confizzledworld, keyformer314, Flightfoot, Clarilune, Sora Tayuya, Princess of Rose, surxi25, CatchingForRain, and sloganlogan for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Thirty - Four: Birth of the Time Racers**

Angel brought them back to the present, in the same place they'd watched the scene from. Except, this time, the specters of Roxas and Xion were no longer there. As the Time Racer released the arms of his two companions, Roxas fell to his hands and knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. Shadow thought about making a smart remark, but, looking at him, the words died in her throat. And, truthfully, she didn't know how up to doing it she was.

She turned her gray gaze to Angel, feeling a sense of betrayal run through her. It was unfamiliar, and she couldn't say she liked it. "Why?" she asked, surprised to find her voice shook.

Angel didn't look at her, keeping his brown eyes fixed firmly on some point in the distance. "He asked me if it was true," Angel replied slowly. "I knew he meant about both Xion and my…past."

"I didn't mean why you brought us back to that moment," she snapped, surprising herself again.

Angel closed his eyes without turning his head to face either of them. _Why won't you look at us? _she wanted to yell at him. However, she remained silent. The lengthening pause was broken by Roxas's voice. "Tell us everything," the Nobody growled, his voice shaking as he stood.

Angel inhaled slowly before his eyes snapped open. "It starts before the Time Racers were ever created," he began quietly. "Like I said before, I was an orphan. My parents died when I was very young, so I was living in an orphanage for most of my life." Shadow's pity was stifled by his betrayal. "Later, I would meet two people who would play an important role in my life." He paused, as if waiting for them to interject. When they didn't, he continued, "Sira and Zylen."

"Zylen?" Shadow exclaimed, though, in hind-sight, it did make sense.

Angel nodded his consent. "Both of them became orphans later then I, and were placed in the orphanage. I began to hang out with them, found out what they were like. We became friends; best friends."

"You were _friends _with Zylen?" Shadow asked, appalled.

Angel snorted, ignoring her interruption. "As we began to grow up, Sira and I grew closer. I guess you could call us boyfriend and girlfriend, if you want." _So what happened to her? _Shadow wanted to ask. However, as before, she remained quiet. "Of course, this sparked somewhat of a rivalry between me and Zylen."

"And that was because…?" Shadow left her question hanging, waiting for him to answer.

"He had a crush on her, too." A small smile etched itself onto his face. "In the end, though, she chose me." Then the beginnings of the smile faded. "Our lives weren't the best, but they weren't terrible, either. However, one day, everything changed.

"A blond haired man came to the orphanage. He said he wanted to adopt several of the kids, ones that appeared they'd never be adopted. Me, Sira, and Zylen were among these kids. It surprised everyone that Zylen was one of his choices, because of the fact that he would have soon been old enough to leave without being adopted. Still, we all went along with it, and followed him. It wasn't until later that we discovered who - and what - he really was."

"Ok, that he was what?" Shadow asked.

"A Nobody." Blinking with surprise, Shadow glanced back at Roxas. His eyes were surprisingly dull, as if the revelation meant little to him. "His name was Vexen," Angel continued, forcing the brown-haired girl to return her attention to him. "He took us to a place called Castle Oblivion. There, he put us through a painful experiment."

"Vexen?" Roxas asked. Shadow glanced behind her, seeing his eyes flash with recognition for a moment before returning to an emotionless state. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

"What did he do?" Shadow asked slowly as Angel shuddered.

"He was experimenting with the heart," he went on, "trying to find out how it would be affected if he implanted something with a strong connection to it within another's body. What he happened to find were shattered pieces of a Keyblade." He ignored her surprise. "He tried to infuse a fragment into each of our hearts. I was the first he succeeded on." He signaled to the No. 1 tattoo on his arm. "That's why he branded me with this."

"Why don't the other Time Racers have it?"

Angel shrugged. "I guess he just didn't feel it was necessary." He shook his head. "Obviously, the infusion came with side effects. The most obvious, at first glance, was the metallic hair."

"And the time traveling powers were the second," Roxas added quietly.

"Yeah," Angel murmured, eyes clouding, "although I didn't realize it at first. It wasn't until I realized that Sira had died that I discovered my powers."

"What?" Shadow exclaimed.

"The infusion was…a hard process. There were many experimented on before me, and none of them survived." Angel shook his head, as if trying to shake off the painful memory. "Sira wasn't strong enough to survive the infusion. It was enough…" he cut of and steadied his shaking voice before starting again, "It was enough for me to first discover my powers. I was transported back in time, to the moment when she died. And all I could do…was watch."

"Kind of like Roxas, just now," Shadow commented.

Angel clenched and unclenched his fists, not responding any more to her words. "I could view the past, but not change it. I knew that if I could change the past, I could save her." He took a deep breath. "So that's what I set out to do. I gathered the other surviving members of the experiment, and formed the Time Racers, with me at its head. Together, we set out to change our pasts."

"Change the past?" Shadow exclaimed. "That's what they want? You can't do that! It could mean…" she trailed off, looking at him with wide eyes. How could he?

"Let me finish, Shadow," he said.

She couldn't believe how he could sound so calm. "You…you could have lost so many lives!" She shook her head, feeling the sense of betrayal rise up stronger inside her. "We trusted you! _I _trusted you!" And, looking at him now, with his eyes never meeting hers and his voice calm, she wondered if she could ever trust him again.

**Angel** didn't dare turned his gaze to his two companions. He knew Shadow's anger was amplified because of it, but he knew he couldn't face them. Not now. Inwardly, he flinched at Shadow's angry words, but, on the outside, he remained a pretense of calm. "It didn't last forever," he murmured, hoping she'd let off enough to let him finish.

"What?" she asked.

Good. It worked. "At first, I worked diligently towards being able to change the past. Then I saw what happened when Namine changed around Sora's memories in Castle Oblivion. That's when I began to realize that, if changing simply _memories _could do that much damage, then how much damage could be done if the past was changed?" He closed his eyes briefly, collected himself, and snapped them open again. "I told Zylen about this, and that I planned to disband the Time Racers."

"You told Zylen?" came Shadow's skeptical query.

"I considered him my best friend, remember," he pointed out. "Then…he betrayed me." Unbidden, the dark memories flooded back:

"_Angel, can we talk to you?" Zylen asked from the dark corridors of Time Castle._

_He turned to glance at his friend. Surprise ran through him as he saw that the other Time Racers were grouped together behind him. Quirking an eyebrow, he asked, "Is something wrong?"_

"_No, not particularly," Zylen replied slowly, eyes glinting oddly in the pale lighting, "we just feel we need to discuss something with you._

"That was how?" Shadow's voice snapped him out of his memories.

"None of the Time Racers wanted to disband. You see, they were no longer focused on simply fixing mistakes in the past; they knew that, if they had the power to change the past, they could do anything."

"_Just think of all the power we could have," Zylen implored him._

"_And think of all the bad things that would happen," Angel retorted._

_Zylen curled his lips slightly, his eyes glowing with a wild light. "We'd be invincible."_

"_No, Zylen."_

"Power can corrupt all too easily. When I continued to say to disband the Time Racers, they all banded together against me." He took a deep, steadying breath. "And Zylen admitted he'd been the cause of Sira's death."

"_What the hell are you doing?" Angel snarled, trying to break free of the holds of the other Time Racers._

"_If you are not strong enough for this power," Zylen hissed, "then you will no longer be leader of the Time Racers. I will be taking your place at its head."_

"_Why?" Angel snarled, brown eyes glaring up at the person he'd once called 'friend.'_

"_We could do anything," Zylen murmured, his eyes distant. Then he turned his dark gaze to his former leader, smirking. "Oh, before you die, I feel you should know something. I killed Sira."_

_Angel felt as if a shard of ice had just pierced his heart. "What?"_

"_Oh, it was kind of just a spur of the moment thing, killing her. I loved her once, too, you know. But she chose you." His smirk faded. "I regretted it at first, knowing I had gone too far. But now," and the smirk was back, "I can say I no longer regret it. In fact, I'm happy I made that choice."_

"_NO!"_

He blinked away tears. "They tried to kill me," he continued, surprised by how little his voice shook. "But, I was able to escape, using my powers."

"_Kill him now!" Zylen snapped._

"_Zylen!" Angel snarled, pain and anger raging through him. He saw the blade flying towards him and, drawing on the powers resting deep within him, transported out of the way, leaving the weapon to soar through empty air. "I will stop you, Zylen," he growled from the place between times. "If it's the last thing I do, I will stop you."_

_He'd hoped one day it would be the same. But, deep inside him, he knew that wasn't true. It was too dangerous too change the past. And, by now, he'd changed too much. Ice flooded his heart, leaving him empty and cold._

"After that, stopping the Time Racers and Zylen became my purpose."

As Angel concluded his tale, Shadow's voice broke in. "So, Lea was right? You just _used _us to get revenge on Zylen. You never cared."

He finally turned his head so that his brown eyes fixed on them. He wanted to deny everything, but, seeing all the pain and betrayal glowing in Shadow's eyes, the words died in his throat. How could he, anyways? That's what he'd planned on doing; using them to get revenge on Zylen. Then why did he feel so hollow inside?

He broke eye contact with Shadow, unable to look at the betrayal any longer, and focused his gaze on the blond Nobody. "Roxas?"

He glanced up, and saw that his eyes were dull. "How'd you know…about…" he cut off, gesturing at where the scene had taken place.

"Zylen and I accidentally transported to that point in time during a fight," he informed him.

"She said no one would remember," Roxas murmured forlornly, glancing over.

"Forgetting doesn't change the past," Angel replied, "only your perception of it."

Roxas whipped back around to face him, his eyes suddenly blazing. "But I _do_ remember her now!" he growled. "I remember everything! And I…was the one who caused it." The fire died from his eyes, leaving them clouded with pain once more. "I couldn't protect her."

Angel glanced first at him, then back at Shadow. And, seeing their reactions, he couldn't help wondering if he'd become as bad as Zylen.

_That's the end of chapter thirty - four. Feel free to tell me what you think!_


	35. Spirit Mountain

_Here's chapter thirty - five. So, I'm going to be gone on vacation for about twelve days…and my laptop's not coming with me. Since I won't be able to update on time next weak, then, I've posted next week's chapter this week._

_Thank you sloganlogan, Sunny Lighter, Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, surxi25, Sora Tayuya, Confizzledworld, and a reader of KH and SH fanfics for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Thirty - Five: Spirit Mountain**

"What are you thinking of doing, Xion?"

The black haired girl glanced back at her companion. "I have to contact Roxas."

The figure's head shook. "No."

Xion's eyes narrowed. "But I have to let him know I'm Ok!"

"Xion." The voice was sympathetic, but held a certain amount of firmness within. "You can't do everything for him. This is something he'll have to do on his own."

"Well, I don't see you helping him a lot," she snapped.

"True." Her companion laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But that's about to change." A sigh. "It'll have to."

Xion shook her head. "He still thinks he killed me," she murmured. "When he defeated me, I was supposed to go back to Sora…" she trailed off, lifting her head with eyes flickering with questions.

"You may have been created from Sora's memories of Kairi," the figure beside her began slowly, answering the question she didn't ask, "but, because of your time with your friends Roxas and Axel, you became a person independent of him. That's why, though his memories returned to him, you did not."

"Then why did I end up in a Keyblade graveyard?"

There was a pause before her companion replied honestly, "I don't know." The figure started away, but suddenly paused and added, "Have faith in your friend. He's stronger than he appears. Trust me."

Xion closed her eyes as her companion finally left. "I know," she murmured. "But sometimes it's hard to remember."

**Lea **watched from his hiding place as Roxas, Shadow, and Angel appeared back in Hallow Bastion before their Gummi ship. He noticed, though, that they wore expressions much different from the ones he'd last seen on them. _Well, _he thought as he watched, _I guess my revelation had a pretty big effect on them._ Which, he had to admit, wasn't all that surprising.

The trio didn't go looking for their friends, obviously to bothered to try and comfort them with the news that they were alright. They boarded the Gummi ship silently. It lifted off from the ground with a roar that seemed oddly muted in the morning air and took to the sky.

Lea remained where he was until the vessel disappeared from his field of vision. Then, slowly, he stood, turning around on his heal and stalking away.

He couldn't help wondering what he'd do now. "Well, Hilran and Kisue getting called back probably means Zylen heard something," he commented aloud. "And considering that even _Hilran's _afraid of him, going back seems like a bad idea." He frowned, head lowered as he thought.

Suddenly, his head shot upward. "I'll prove to them that I'm not just some toy to be throne away when they don't want me anymore," he hissed. "I'll get the information myself. Then they'll have to see." He smirked. "And I'll start with Kingdom Hearts."

**Silence **reigned in the Gummi ship as they flew. None of them had really gotten much sleep, but their silence was more due to the shock they'd received than their fatigue. Roxas stared out into the expanse of space, watching worlds go by without really giving them a second glance. Somewhere inside him, a voice said that he should be stopping at one of them. After all, he did still need to get Sora, Riku, and Kairi free.

Right now, though, that mission seemed far away.

He couldn't stop the memories of Xion from filling his mind, the guilt at forgetting and the pain of remembering flaring deep within him. He closed his eyes briefly, ignoring the danger that would put them in, and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. When he opened his eyes again, he saw their reflection in the glass before him; empty, emotionless.

The way they should've been all along.

"Shouldn't we stop?" Angel asked hesitantly.

"Why do you care?" Shadow asked in reply, the pain of his betrayal still fresh in her voice. "Why are you even still here?"

"You haven't told me to leave yet," he murmured in reply.

"Then I will now!" Shadow hissed. Glancing back, Roxas saw her turn to glare at him. "Leave."

He saw Angel flinch, but his quiet response was calm. "That's what you want?"

Shadow took a deep breath. "Yes." Her voice shook.

Angel closed his eyes. Moments that seemed to span eternity passed before he replied, "Then drop me off somewhere."

"Drop you off?" came Shadow's incredulous cry. "You're a Time Racer! You can teleport out of here yourself!"

"I can," he replied slowly, "but I can't."

"That makes no sense!" Shadow spat. "You showed us the past, so you _can_!"

"You don't understand," Angel retorted, beginning to sound angry himself.

Old habits die hard; the saying was never truer for Roxas, who, despite his anger at Angel, couldn't help but cut in. "Knock it off!" he snapped, twisting around in his seat.

As if responding to the argument brewing within it, the Gummi ship gave a wild jerk and began to fall. Roxas spun around immediately, gripping the wheel in an attempt to control it. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't right the Gummi ship. "What's going on?" Shadow asked in surprise.

"Something's wrong with the Gummi ship!" he called back, still trying to correct its course. The Gummi ship continued to fall, straight towards an unfamiliar world below.

"We're going to crash!" Shadow exclaimed.

"No dip," Angel replied, though there was little humor in his voice, and none in Shadow's glare.

As they neared, multi-colored lights whirled around the outside of the Gummi ship. Roxas stared at them in wide-eyed amazement, suddenly stopping his efforts to steer the ship away. The lights passed through the outer shell of the Gummi ship as if it wasn't there, swirling around them. Light filled his eyes, and magic seemed to run through him. _What's happening?_ he wondered, though his mind was fuzzed with awe.

Suddenly, the Gummi ship seemed to disappear, jerking him back to reality. He let out a startled cry as he began to fall through darkness, the magic of the lights still shifting inside him.

**When **Shadow returned to consciousness, her whole body ached. _What happened? _she wondered, her eyes still closed. She remembered fighting, then the Gummi ship went berserk, the lights came in…and suddenly, she'd been falling beside Angel.

But Roxas hadn't been falling with them.

The thought was enough to force her to open her eyes. If one of her friends was missing…

One _of your friends? _her mind hissed. _Angel was never really your friend, remember? _She shook her head, wishing she could forget that painful memory. Sitting up, she called out, "Roxas?"

Her whole body suddenly stiffened. The voice that came out of her mouth wasn't hers. It sounded like…Angel's. Her eyes widening, she jumped to her feet, looking nervously at her hands and clothes. "I'm…in Angel's body." Angel's voice squeaked out the words.

"What the hell just happened?"

She froze. That had been her voice. Slowly, she turned around, to see her own body standing before her, arms crossed. "Angel?" she asked slowly.

"Yes," Angel said with her voice. He glanced at the body he was now trapped in, adding, "Do you know what happened?"

She opened her mouth - Angel's mouth, she corrected herself - to reply, but then promptly closed it again. She turned her back to the person in her body, replying, "No. And I wouldn't tell you if I did."

"You choose _now _to be difficult?" he asked from behind her.

She whipped back around to face him, ignoring the oddness of yelling at her own body, even if someone else was inside it. "You betrayed us, and you expect me to _get along _with you?"

She saw the person in her body flinch. "Shadow, listen-"

"No! I don't want to listen anymore!" She whipped around and began to stomp away.

"And you'd rather stay stuck in my body?" Angel called after her. She froze. He did have a point. "I know…that you're not to happy with me right now."

"Well, there's the understatement of the century," she growled, throwing up her hands.

"But, if we're ever going to get back to normal, we have to work together," he continued, ignoring her interruption.

Shadow gritted her teeth against the pain that flared through her heart. "Using me again," she muttered. Whipping around to face him again, she added, "Fine. But just until we're back in our own bodies. Then you leave."

She was surprised at the sadness she saw in his eyes. "Fine. If that's what you want."

**Upon **Roxas's return to consciousness, he heard strange voices. "Is he dead?" one voice whispered.

"I don't know," another hissed in response. "He came tumbling off of Spirit Mountain, so it wouldn't surprise me."

He groaned, trying to push himself to his feet. "He's awake! Scatter!" His eyes were blurry as he blinked them open, trying to see who'd been speaking. Groaning, he fell back down.

"Hey, I think he's hurt," one of the voices said. Roxas looked forward to see a squirrel stalking slowly towards him. "H-hello," the squirrel said hesitantly.

The sight of a talking squirrel was enough to shoot him into a sitting position. "What…?" The squirrel, surprised, dashed away. "No, don't be afraid," he called after it. "You just startled me, that's all."

The squirrel peeked out of it's hiding place to look at him in surprise. "_I_ startled _you_?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Roxas replied with a nod.

He heard laughing echo around him. "Oh, that's funny!" another voice cried. "A bear being startled by a squirrel!"

"I can be intimidating!" the squirrel replied hotly.

Roxas was stuck on the previous comment. "What?" he cried in surprise. He struggled upward, trying to stand erect. He discovered he felt off balance, and fell forward, head landing in a puddle of water. Groaning, he propped himself up on one arm and looked down at his reflection.

The face of a bear stared back at him.

_That's the end of chapter thirty - five! Review, please?_


	36. Another's Footsteps

_So, here's the second chapter for the week. Enjoy!_

**Chapter Thirty - Six: Another's Footsteps**

Roxas scrambled awkwardly away from the puddle, eyes stretching wide. "What…how did…?" he stuttered.

"Dude, I think he's lost it," he heard one of the squirrels whisper.

"I'm not crazy," he informed them, though his mind was hardly on the conversation. _How did I change form without magic? _he wondered. Then, remembering back to the strange occurrence in the Gummi ship, he mentally kicked himself for not realizing it sooner. _The lights! They were what caused it!_

Of course, remembering the experiences in the Gummi ship reminded him of Xion. Pain lanced through him, and he tried to force it away. Turning towards the squirrels, he asked, "Did you see anyone - or anything - else come off Spirit Mountain." His voice held a dull, emotionless tone to cover up his sadness and guilt.

The two animals seemed put off by his changed tone. "No, just you," one replied slowly.

Roxas nodded, and shakily stood to his feet. _I'd better get looking, _he thought. _Angel may not be able to be trusted, but I still need to find Shadow. _He felt a grimace curl his facial features as he walked unsteadily away on four legs. _I…I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's deaths._

"Hey, where are you going?" he heard one of the squirrels call after him. He ignored the voice. The squirrel ran and jumped ahead of him. "Dude, why won't you answer me?"

"Just leave me alone, alright?" he growled in response. A part of him told him that he shouldn't be so mean, but the remainder was too wrapped up in guilty memories to care. He swerved around the surprised looking squirrel, continuing forward.

"You know, that wasn't very nice," a new voice informed him. Blinking out of his thoughts, he lifted his head to see a bear cub sitting before him. "Why are you so grumpy?" he asked.

"I'm not," he replied, his tone flat. He began to head past the cub.

He followed beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." _No._

"Really?" The cub frowned up at him. "You don't sound alright."

Roxas closed his eyes briefly. "Please, just leave me alone." He opened his eyes again and continued to trudge forward.

After a few moments, the bear cub caught up to him again. "I'm Koda!" he informed him. "What's your name?"

"Roxas."

"Roxas?" Koda asked, wrinkling his muzzle. "That's a funny name." Roxas ignored him, eyes fixed firmly ahead. "Hey, wait!" Koda called after him. He bounded forward, matching his pace to the Nobody's. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean."

Roxas exhaled slowly. "It's fine," he murmured.

"Hey, where are you going?"

At first, he wasn't sure he was going to answer. Then, looking at the cub, he found himself replying, "I need to find a friend."

"Hey, maybe we can help!"

"We?" Roxas asked, curious despite himself.

Koda was nodding vigorously. "Yeah! Me and my brother, Kenai!" He bounded forward. "Come on!" Sighing, and deciding maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea, Roxas sped up his pace to follow.

"**I'm **bored!" Shadow complained. She and Angel, still trapped in each other's bodies, had been traveling through most of the day.

Angel glanced back at her. "Then amuse yourself. You're usually good at that."

_That's because I used to have you to make fun of. _She felt pain burning deep inside her heart, and tried to push it away, though tears still pricked the corners of her eyes. She turned her head away, looking at the trees around her to try and alleviate her boredom and forget about Angel's betrayal. Her eyes wandered slowly through the breaks between the trees. She gave a tired sigh. "I'm still bored."

"Hey, look up ahead," Angel called back to her.

Shadow turned to look where his finger was pointing. "A village," she sighed with relief. "Maybe now we can get back in our right bodies." She shot a glare at him. "And then you can leave."

Angel clenched his fists, eyes narrowing slightly. Then he shook his head. "Let's just go."

"You're not the boss of me," Shadow replied, though she went anyways, stalking past him.

She walked into the village with Angel just behind her. Her eyes scanned over the huts comprised of wood and animal skins, and the village people, also adorned in animal hides. Glancing at the clothes that covered their bodies, she groaned. "Wow, we must stand out like sore thumbs."

"Doesn't matter," Angel murmured. "Let's just find someone who can help."

Her eyes shifted briefly towards him before training back on the path before her that led deeper into the heart of the village. She strode forward, calling out as she went, "Hey, you!"

One of the villagers stopped to look at her. "Yes?" he asked.

"We need help," she informed him as she reached him.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "What kind of help, sir?"

"Sir?" she queried, then reminded herself that she and Angel _had_ switched bodies. "I'm not-"

Angel's hand covered her mouth as she tried to correct him. "We had some trouble with…magic," Angel informed him carefully.

He gave them a curious glance, but didn't ask any questions. Instead, he pointed to the outskirts of the village. "If you want help for magical things, see the shaman who lives on the outskirts of the village. She can help with just about anything." Angel nodded thanks for both of them, then pulled Shadow along in the direction he had pointed.

She managed to struggle free of his grip before they got very far. "What was that for?" she hissed.

"I don't think it would have helped much if he knew we'd switched bodies," he informed her.

"And how would it have hurt?" she asked.

"Think," he hissed in reply. "We don't know how often this has happened before, or even if its happened at all, apart from us."

She stopped where she was. "Think?" she asked slowly. "This is coming form the guy who started to Time Racers to do something that could destroy the universe?" Angel flinched at her harsh words, but she pretended she didn't see it. She stalked past him, hating the cold feeling that still remained inside her.

They traversed the remainder of the way in grim silence, which, surprisingly, Shadow didn't mind. She wasn't sure what she'd say, anyway, if Angel said anything. Probably just something else hurtful. She blinked away tears, missing the companionship they'd once shared…even if most of that had included her driving him crazy.

When they reached the hut, Angel stepped forward and hesitantly pulled back the flap that covered the entrance. "Hello?" he called out.

A woman glanced up from where she sat in the far corner of the hut. "Yes?" she asked as the two teenagers slipped inside. "What can I do for you?"

"We've…had some trouble with magic," Angel began, seeming hesitant.

When he paused, the woman interjected, "Magic? Can you tell me anything about it?"

"Yeah," Shadow replied quickly. "It-" Angel cut her off with a glare.

The shaman gave him a look. "No, let him speak. I need to know what happened if I'm going to do anything to help."

"I'm not a guy," Shadow explained. At the confused look the shaman gave her, she added, "_That's _what the magic did; it made the two of us switch bodies. But we want to find out how to get back to normal."

"Hmm." The shaman closed her eyes, seeming to go into deep thought. For a long while silence reigned, until the point where Shadow felt she had to say something or go crazy. Then the shaman's eyes snapped open, cutting her off before she could even utter a word. "This magic; how did it happen?"

"Well…" Shadow trailed off, mind winging back to the Gummi ship. "Our-"

Angel once again put his hand over her mouth. "Not a good idea," he hissed to her.

Again, the shaman glared at him. "Do you want help or not?" More gently, she added, "I can tell just by looking you're not from this world."

"What?" Angel asked in surprise.

"You know about other worlds?" Shadow mumbled through the hand still covering her mouth.

The shaman nodded. "Yes. So don't be afraid to say anything about it."

Freeing herself from the hand, Shadow stuck her tongue out at Angel in victory, then began her story again. "Our Gummi ship - that's what we use to travel to different worlds - went crazy and started flying towards your world. Then, these bright colored lights came in _through _the Gummi ship. When they swirled around us, the Gummi ship just all of a sudden disappeared, and we fell. The next thing we knew, Angel and I woke up with our bodies switched."

"I see," the shaman said slowly.

"Don't feel bad if you don't understand a word she says," Angel informed her with a sigh. "She's too hyperactive."

"Meh, your boring," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him again. She saw his eyes flicker, and suddenly remembered all he'd revealed. She looked away quickly, eyes shadowed. It had felt more like before this whole crazy incident.

When she looked back up at the shaman, the wise old woman was giving them a sad smile. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to change you two back."

"What?" Angel exclaimed in surprise.

"So…I'm going to be stuck as Angel forever?" She half hoped the comment would get a response out of him, but, like when he'd spoken to them before, his eyes were fixed steadily ahead.

"No," the shaman replied, eyes sparkling with an odd light. "I simply said there was nothing that _I_ could do to help. You can get back to normal, though."

"How?" Angel queried.

"Go to the summit of Spirit Mountain, where the lights touch the earth," the shaman replied. "There, you may be able to change back.

"Cool," Shadow said, nodding.

"But be warned," the shaman said as they turned to leave. "The spirits wouldn't have done this to you without reason; they will not change you back unless you've learned the lesson this change was meant to teach."

Shadow looked at her as Angel pushed his way out. "Do you know what it is?"

The old woman was giving her a sad smile once more. "Child," she whispered, "I think, in your heart, you yourself know."

Shadow blinked in surprise before following Angel's lead out into the world once more. She didn't know what lesson she was meant to learn; all she knew was that she wanted things to go back to normal.

Although, she admitted to herself, in her heart, she meant more than just getting their bodies back.

_That's the end of chapter thirty - six. What did you think? Reviews would be great!_


	37. Brother Bear

_I'm back with chapter thirty - seven! Thank you Flightfoot, Confizzledworld, caitlinkeitorin, Sora Tayuya, and CatchingForRain for reviewing chapter thirty - five, and Sunny Lighter, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, Confizzledworld, surxi25, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing chapter thirty - six._

**Chapter Thirty - Seven: Brother Bear**

Koda reminded Roxas a bit of Shadow.

"Hey, check this out!"

Well, at least in the sense that he seemed to have a lot of energy.

Roxas made an attempt at quirking an eyebrow in his new bear form as the bear cub jumped down from the tree branch he'd jumped up on. "Ok…"

Koda shook himself, looking up at his companion. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"So I've been told," Roxas informed him, walking forward.

Koda rushed ahead, calling out as he did, "Kenai!"

"What?" a voice called back.

"Come here, I've got someone for you to meet!"

From the shadows under a fallen tree appeared a bear, this one older than both Koda and Roxas himself. "Ok, Koda," the bear, Kenai, said, "who is it you want me to meet?"

Koda bounced back a few steps. "This is Roxas." Roxas dipped his head as an acknowledgement. "He's looking for his friend, and I told him we could help."

"And you couldn't have asked me first?" Kenai asked in exasperation.

"Come on, Kenai," Koda said imploringly.

The older bear glared at him a few moments before giving in with a sigh. "Alright, what does this friend of yours look like?"

"Uh…well…" Roxas stalled, trying to figure out how he could tell them she was human.

"What? You don't know what your friend looks like?" Koda asked, laughing.

"No, I do, it's just-"

"Why don't we start with a species," Kenai suggested.

He decided to just say it flat out. "Human."

Both bears seemed suddenly stunned. Koda broke the silence by saying, "Human? How can a bear be friends with a human?"

"It's…uh," Roxas trailed off, wondering how he'd explain this.

"Let me guess; you were turned into a bear," Kenai said dryly.

Roxas blinked surprised blue eyes at him, mouth hanging agape. "How…?" "Kenai was a human once, too," Koda replied, grinning. "The spirits turned him into a bear to teach him a lesson."

"And then I choose to stay that way," the older bear added.

"Spirits?" Roxas questioned.

"The magic of our ancestors," Kenai explained.

"So…the 'spirits' did the same thing to me?" He shook his head. "Why?"

"They must have something they want you to learn," Kenai replied. "And maybe separating you from your friend is part of teaching you it."

It was the image of a different friend, though, that came to his mind then:

"_Goodbye, Roxas," Xion murmured. "See you again. I'm glad…I got to meet you. Oh…and Axel, too. You are both my best friends." She reached up on hand, resting it against his cheek. "Never forget, that's the truth."_

_Roxas found himself casting around frantically through his mind, trying to find out why she seemed so familiar. Somewhere, deep inside him, it was like a light had come on. He felt his eyes widen with recognition, his hand shooting out to grab her falling hand. "No!"_

"Roxas?" Koda's voice broke into his train of thought, cutting off the memory.

The Nobody shook his head, trying to ignore the pain that seemed to resonate through him. "What?" he asked, feeling his voice return to that dull, emotionless tone.

Both bears were now giving him odd stares. "You zoned out for a while," Koda replied.

Roxas looked away, eyes shadowed. "Yeah, I do that sometimes."

There was a span of silence, broken when Kenai said, "Come on; we'd better go looking for your friend."

"Yeah," Roxas murmured, lifting his head. Looking at him, he saw his eyes flicker with something, like he knew more than he was telling.

"Why don't we try heading to the summit of Spirit Mountain?" Kenai suggested slowly. "Your friend may have decided to try going there, too." Roxas nodded acceptance, and followed behind the brothers as they set off.

_I didn't forget…_

_Not really…_

_Xion._

**Domian** quirked an eyebrow as he saw Hilran come storming down the hallway. "I need to speak with Zylen," she hissed to him.

"Why?" Domian asked, crossing his arms and unobtrusively shifting so that he stood directly in her path.

"'Cut the strings?'" she growled.

Domian blinked in surprise, almost wanting to burst into laughter at the oddity of what was happening. "You're mad because he made you abandon _Lea_?" he spluttered.

"Don't get any ideas," Hilran snapped at him. "I don't give a shit about that…_Heartless._" She jabbed a finger at his chest, eyes narrowed. "It's what he's done that makes me angry."

"You mean revealing what Zylen told him?" Domain asked.

"Of course, you idiot!" Hilran snapped back. "What else would I be talking about?"

Domian exhaled slowly. "Hilran, maybe you should calm down first."

"Calm down?" Hilran snarled. "Zylen could have jeopardized everything we've been working for! I don't understand why he told Lea anything."

"Would you rather he have betrayed us?" Domian queried.

"He did anyways, or hadn't you noticed?" Hilran responded dryly. With a snort, she added, "If you ask me, Angel led us better than Zylen does now."

"Really, Hilran?"

Both Time Racers froze at the sound of a new voice. "Z-Zylen!" Hilran stammered.

The leader of the Time Racers walked towards them from the shadows, eyes glittering with a dark light. "What makes you say Angel was better than me? Did you forget he planned on ending us, and all we'd worked towards?"

"No," Hilran replied, defiance tempering the fear in her eyes, "of course not. But I don't think it was smart to tell Lea so much."

Zylen's eyes narrowed. "I figured it was best to try and keep his curiosity satisfied, so he didn't go prying anywhere he shouldn't."

"But he was still willing to betray us," Hilran objected.

"Yes," Zylen agreed, "which is why we abandoned him."

"But he told -"

"I know," Zylen interrupted, cutting off Hilran's protest. "But perhaps it could work out in our favor." When the other two Time Racers gave him curious looks, he continued, "Through Lea's revelation, both Roxas and Shadow have become disillusioned with Angel, and Roxas himself is now grappling with memories of his lost friend."

"They're falling apart," Hilran said, eyes widening in realization.

Zylen nodded. "And with them, any opposition to our plans."

"What happens if Lea comes back?" Domian asked hesitantly.

Zylen fixed him with a gaze filled with darkness. "Kill him."

Domian tried not to shiver at the cold tone. "Yes, sir."

As the two Time Racers began to head away, Zylen called after them, "Oh, and Hilran?"

Hilran stopped in her tracks, while Domian hurriedly rushed away. "Yes?" she asked, slowly turning around.

"It would be best if you didn't question my authority again."

Her eyes filled with fear, she muttered, "Of course, sir." She whipped around and walked briskly down the dark corridors, her movements barely hiding her fear.

Zylen remained where he was a few moments more before turning on his heel and walking back the way he'd come. He pulled open the door that arose in front him, entering into the sickly light shed by the darkness engulfing his captured Keyblade. He raised one hand to hover above the blade, his face cast in eerie shadows as a dark smirk stretched across his face. "Soon," he growled, "everything will be ready. And then everything I've worked so hard to achieve will be realized."

**He** couldn't believe where he was.

"Radiant Garden," the Phoenix muttered, "or Hollow Bastion, or whatever they're calling it now." He shook his head. "Ignore it. Just focus on your mission." His eyes scanned the streets, searching out his quarry. His eyes flickered with surprise when he saw something shift in the shadows. "Hey, you!" he called. The figure in the shadows jerked in surprise, pausing a few moments before darting away. The Phoenix jumped after it.

The other stuck to the shadows, giving him no indication of who or what it was. "Stop!" he called after the fleeing figure. "I just want to ask you some questions!" The figure continued to dart away, as if he hadn't spoken at all. He gritted his teeth with frustration and lengthened his stride.

A scream suddenly split the air. _Now what? _he wondered, his head jerking upwards. For a few moments, he considered simply ignoring it and continuing on with his mission. When the scream came again, however, he gave a reluctant sigh and, giving one last glance in the direction of the fleeing figure, changed his course to the direction the scream had come from.

What he found when he arrived at its source was a little girl, cowering in front of a bunch of Heartless. "Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" he growled at them, hitting one away with his fist. The Heartless hissed at him, jumping forward. He kicked it back, eyes narrowing as he watched the other Heartless get ready to jump. He deflected the first two with practiced ease, and quickly grabbed the third, which he tossed away.

He paused when he heard the little girl scream again. Whipping around, he saw the Heartless had switched their glowing yellow eyes from him to the child. He jumped forward, putting his body between the Heartless and the girl as they lunged.

However, surprisingly, the attack never hit. After a few moments, he slowly turned around to see the King standing with his back to him, Keyblade still poised from when it had slain the Heartless. "Gosh, that was a close one," Mickey said as he lowered his Keyblade a turned around.

The Phoenix righted himself and began to walk away briskly. "Thanks."

"Wait!" the King called after him.

Against his better judgment, he paused and glanced behind him. "Yeah?"

"What's your name?" Mickey asked slowly.

He smirked, preparing to walk away. "The Phoenix."

As he left, however, he never knew that a pair of emerald eyes were wide with surprise, staring at him from the shadows.

_There's the end of chapter thirty - seven! What'd you think? Reviews are wonderful._


	38. Visions of the Past

_Here's chapter thirty - eight. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Sunny Lighter, Flightfoot, Sora Tayuya, surxi25, Confizzledworld, Chariste, and SkyWarrior2 for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Thirty - Eight: Visions of the Past**

"Something wrong, Roxas?"

Roxas blinked his eyes, looking up ahead at Kenai's words. "No," he replied quickly. The bear didn't quite look like he believed him, and he couldn't really blame him for that. Still, though, he turned around and continued on.

This left Roxas to plod on in the back, falling once more into his memories.

_He glanced around at the rainy streets of The World That Never Was from the shadows of his hood. _Never thought I'd come back, _he thought to himself._

_Neoshadows began to spawn before him, emerging from their dark hiding places to watch him with their glowing yellow eyes. He glared at them. _You can't stop me! _he thought vehemently at them. He recalled Xion's death bitterly, knowing he had to fulfill her final wish. Feeling like a storm was raging inside him, he called his Keyblade in a flash of light. But what appeared was not one Kingdom Key, but two._

_As the Neoshadows multiplied, he raised his two Keyblades, crossing them in an X. He drew power off of what the others would have called his 'imaginary feelings'; he drew power from the strength of his purpose; and he drew power from Xion's memory, no matter how quickly it was beginning to fade._

_And, suddenly, instead of two Kingdom Keys, they were Oathkeeper and Oblivion, ready to do battle against the Heartless._

Roxas shook his head, trying to dislodge the memories. _Stop it, _he hissed to himself. Right now, he almost wished he could forget; then, he wouldn't have to feel the pain he was in now.

That stopped him short. _Pain? _came the bitter thought. _Nobodies can't feel._ Although, he was beginning to find he was no longer as convinced as he once was. He pushed the thought away, walking forward once more. _Doesn't matter, _he told himself firmly. _Right now, just focus on the present._

Because, truth be told, he didn't really want to forget again. But he wasn't sure he could face the painful memories at the time.

"**How **much further?" Shadow asked tiredly.

"I don't know," Angel replied, his voice taunt. "Just keep heading towards that tall mountain."

"I know that!" she snapped back at him.

"Then quit complaining."

She glowered at him, intending to shoot a smart remark back at him. However, it died in her throat, and she simply glanced away. She thought she saw his eyes flicker with some emotion on the edge of her vision. It was almost enough to make her look back.

There were a few moments of tense silence before she heard Angel speak up. "Hey, Shadow?"

She closed her eyes briefly before lifting her head to look at him, still finding it odd to address her own body. "What?" Her voice had a wary edge to it that she was uncomfortable with.

Angel stopped, turning to face her slowly. He met her gaze squarely, his expression as unreadable as his voice. "You really want me to go after we get back to normal?"

She didn't bother to point out that they'd never _be_ normal in the truest sense of the word. "Yes." Why was something inside her screaming _no_? "Didn't I say that already?"

"Yeah," he acknowledged.

"Then why'd you ask again?" she asked in exasperation.

"Does it matter?" he replied darkly. He closed his eyes briefly, opening them again to say, "I'll need to come with you at least to find the Gummi ship."

"What? Why?" She couldn't stop her exclamations of surprise. "Can't your 'Time Racer powers' transport you out of here?"

"And I thought I'd already mentioned _that_."

"You weren't exactly clear on it!" she snapped. "You're a Time Racer, so why don't you just use your powers?"

"Shadow, it's not that simple," Angel started.

She didn't let him continue. "Maybe your guilt's making them malfunction."

His gaze hardened. "My guilt?"

"Or don't you have any?"

"Let me explain-"

"Explain what?" she asked in response, spreading her arms wide in an angry gesture. "I think you already _explained _that you betrayed us."

Angel's temper seemed to be growing. "Will you just listen?"

"Why should I?"

"You trusted me once."

She began to stalk past him. "And _then _I found out you were just using us."

She felt a hand close around her arm and turn her around so that she was forced to look at him. "Can't you let go of that for a moment and hear me out?"

"No." The cheeky reply came instantly out of instinct.

His eyes narrowed. "Shadow-"

"Don't start," she growled, pulling away.

"Just _listen to me_!" he snapped, finally losing his temper.

Shadow felt something growing inside her, something strange she didn't recognize. As she spoke her next words, it seemed to fill her body with full force. "Leave me alone!"

Mist swirled up around her, enveloping her entire body. Cold air cut through her clothes, making her shiver. _What's happening? _she wondered, before realizing she'd experienced this before. _This is what happened when Angel showed us Xion's death! I'm using his powers!_

However, the scene she fell into was not one she was familiar with. She was in a room swathed purely in white. Before her stood two figures; Angel, and a blond haired person who she didn't recognize. "Can I see Sira?" Angel asked. He took a few steps forward, but staggered, and put his hand on a table's edge to keep from falling.

"No, you're still too weak from the experiment," the blond haired man replied quickly. "Besides, I want to run some tests."

"I'm not your lab rat, Vexen," Angel informed him dryly, "and it's been over a week ago that the experiment was finished." He glared darkly at the man before him. "Besides, I never agreed to be your experiment, anyways."

"I adopted you," Vexen replied with a huff.

"Your point?" Angel asked sardonically. Shaking his head, and without waiting for Vexen to reply, he continued, "Can you just tell me where Sira is?"

Vexen turned partially away. "You see…"

Angel was persistent; Shadow would give him that. "Where is she?"

Vexen looked towards the Time Racer once more. "Yes, well, about that…"

Shadow saw Angel's eyes slowly widen, tears beginning to form at their edges. "Where is she?" he repeated. She could hear the desperation in his voice, as if he already knew what was coming, and was begging the other to tell him it wasn't true.

Vexen looked at him calmly, his voice emotionless as he replied. "She's dead."

Angel took a few steps backwards. "No," he murmured. His voice sounded almost hollow. He closed his eyes shut tightly, a few tears finally slipping down his cheeks. "NO!" Mist suddenly swirled up around him, completely enveloping him.

Shadow had had enough. "How do I get out of here?" she cried into thin air. She tried reaching for Angel's powers, desperately unleashing them. She closed her eyes, waiting to return to the present.

When she opened them, however, she found herself in another scene of the past.

She saw Angel, holding the limp body of a teenage girl in his arms. He looked devastated, tears streaming freely from his eyes. "Sira, I'm sorry," he cried, holding her body closer. "I couldn't stop what happened. I'm so sorry." His voice broke, and he bent his head down, the quiet sound of sobbing escaping him.

"I've never seen him this miserable," Shadow murmured as she watched the scene unfold before her. Her mind winged back to when Angel had revealed everything, back in Twilight Town, his words once more sounding in her mind. _I was transported back in time, to the moment when she died. And all I could do…was watch._

She had to admit to herself that that'd be a terrible fate.

"No." Angel's voice snapped her back to the scene. His hand tightened around Sira's limp arm. "If I can view the past, maybe there's a way to change it." His voice was still raw with grief, but becoming stronger. "I can still save you, Sira. I'll find a way."

Unable to watch the heart wrenching scene any longer, Shadow once again reached for Angel's powers in an attempt to bring her back to the present.

Once again, however, she found herself watching the past.

This time, she saw Angel glaring up at Zylen from where he was held down by some of the other Time Racers. The dark leader of the Time Racers was smirking down at him. "But now, I can no longer say I regret it," he was saying. "In fact, I'm happy I made that choice."

Shadow saw hurt and betrayal fill Angel's eyes. "NO!"

Again, she remembered back to what he had revealed to them. "His best friend killed his girlfriend," she murmured in memory, her eyes growing wide.

"Kill him now!" Zylen snarled.

"Zylen!" Cold fury filled his voice as the blade came down towards him. Then, suddenly, mist swirled around him, and the weapon hissed through thin air. His voice suddenly echoed around the dark halls of Time Castle. "I will stop you, Zylen. If it's the last thing I do, I will stop you."

Somehow, though, Shadow sensed that the Angel of the past had changed…but not to the one she knew. She lowered her head, shutting her eyes tightly. "Take me back," she whispered. "Please; I understand now." And, calling upon Angel's powers, she let the wispy fingers of time wrap around her.

When she opened her eyes this time, she found herself back on the world she'd been on, Angel - still in her body - looking at her with wide eyes. "Don't scare me like that!" he snapped. Though his voice sounded angry, she thought she saw worry flickering in his eyes.

She pushed away the instinct that told her to make a smart remark. Instead, she said, "I'm sorry."

Angel's eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting that. "Sorry?" he repeated.

She nodded in response. "I saw a few things from your past. I understand now. I mean, starting the Time Racers and trying to change the past was still wrong, but I know why you did it." She shook her head. "Losing someone you care about, and then having to watch and not do anything about it would really suck."

"No kidding," Angel retorted, his voice sounding tightly under control.

"And finding out your best friend killed her, and then tried to kill you…" she trailed off, looking at him with wide eyes. "You must have felt the same way I did when you told us the truth." She took a deep breath. "I still don't like being used, but I'd want to get back at that jerk, too. I'm sorry. For not letting you explain, too."

He took a deep breath, then looked her in the eyes. "I'm sorry, too."

It was Shadow's turn to be surprised. "You are?"

He nodded. "I should have told you guys from the start. And I shouldn't have used you to try and get revenge in the first place." He looked hesitant before adding. "It only started out that way, though. Afterwards…"

Shadow gave her familiar cheeky grin. "Ah, you actually care about us!"

Angel rolled his eyes. "No teasing."

Her eyes glittered mischievously. "You said I scared you."

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, you appeared behind me."

"Liar."

"Shut up."

Shadow turned her gaze to where the summit of Spirit Mountain rose into the clouds. "This must have been the lesson the spirits wanted to teach us." As the two of them began walking towards their destination once more, she glanced to the side, asking, "So, you wouldn't use you powers because…?"

"Because it reminded me too much of a past I'd prefer to forget." He smiled awkwardly, asking, "So, do you still want me to leave?"

She grinned back. "No."

_There's the end of chapter thirty - eight. Feel free to tell me what you think!_


	39. Aura

_Here's chapter thirty - nine. Thank you Flightfoot, Sora Tayuya, SkyWarrior2, Confizzledworld, and a reader of KH and SH fanfics for reviewing last chapter._

**Chapter Thirty - Nine: Aura**

The fall of night over the world forced Roxas, Kenai, and Koda to a halt.

"We could keep going!" Koda complained to his brother.

"Would you like to try and walk up Spirit Mountain in the dark?" Kenai asked.

The bear cub sat down abruptly, replying, "No, not really."

"That's what I thought." Kenai settled down, eyes looking up towards the looming mountain before them. "We're rest here tonight, then start up first thing in the morning. That Ok with you, Roxas?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, the Nobody whipped his head around to look at the bear. "Y-yeah," he replied. Slowly, he lowered his head onto his paws, closing his blue eyes as the night continued to grow darker. As he fell into unconsciousness, dreams began to take hold.

_He walked forward slowly on a road made of light, his dream self human-like once more. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice echoing oddly in the silent darkness that surrounded his road._

"_Roxas."_

_He whipped his head back around in surprise. He recognized that voice. "Xion!" he cried, seeing the black-haired replica standing on the path before him. He raced forward, but, as he reached her, she disappeared. Instead, the path seemed to suddenly drop away. He stumbled, catching himself before he could fall over the edge. "Wait! Xion!"_

_When he turned around in search of her, however, he saw instead the figure of Sora. The Keyblader charged at him, brandishing his blade. Roxas threw up his hands quickly, summoning the Kingdom Key to block the blow. However, his other simply passed right through him._

_As he lowered his Keyblade, he saw Shadow and Angel standing on the path before him. "We're a team now," Shadow murmured._

"_Yeah," Roxas said with a nod. As he did, however, Angel jumped back into a wall of mist. Shadow, oddly still smiling his cheeky smile, dashed past him. "Wait!" Roxas cried. But as he whipped around, he found only darkness._

_Or, at least, it was that way for a moment. Before him began to form the light figure of Namine. He dashed forward, then paused, afraid she, too, would disappear before his eyes. "Namine, you have to help," he said desperately, his voice shaking._

_The blond haired Nobody shook her head sadly. "There's nothing I can do. I'm too far away."_

"_No," he murmured as Namine's image began to fade away. "No, Namine, please." He fell to his knees, arms hanging limp by his side and his head lowered. Memories flickered through his head, and pain and confusion burned deep within him, though, for once, no tears spilled down. "What is my destiny?"_

His eyes snapped open, and he jolted upright, back into awareness. Panting, he glanced around at his surroundings, then down at himself. Still the same world, still a bear, still night. Slowly, he stood. He walked a few paces before stopping to glance at his sleeping companions. _I've caused too much trouble for everyone._ He turned his gaze ahead, willing his legs forward. _Now I walk alone._

"**Kenai!"**

The bear snorted, trying to ignore the sound of his brother's voice. "Go away, Koda. It's not even dawn yet."

"Kenai, it's Roxas!"

"What about him?" Kenai lifted his head, slowly opening his eyes.

Koda was staring at him with wide eyes. "He's gone!"

"**We're…**almost there," Shadow panted, stretching her arm up so she could grip another ledge on the mountainside.

"Maybe…we'll finally get…our bodies back," Angel huffed from below her. Shadow gripped the next ledge, pulling herself up onto it. Turning around she saw Angel hauling himself onto it beside her.

That's when she noticed it wasn't a ledge. "Um, Angel?"

"What?" he asked. He looked at the direction her finger was pointing, and his mouth fell open. "There was a path."

"Wow, we're dumb," Shadow commented, falling back into the snow-covered path.

"_You're_ dumb, you mean," Angel growled in response. "I told you we should have looked harder."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she replied, grinning. Angel looked down at her and shook his head in exasperation, though a small smile had edged its way onto his lips. "So," she said, sitting up again, "do we just wait here for those Spirit things to change us back?"

"I guess-" Angel cut off abruptly, eyes narrowing as he looked at something along the path. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. "We've got company."

Shadow stood beside him, eyes narrowed as she followed his gaze. "Heartless," she said with a slight smile. "Seems like forever since we've fought a few of them!" Instinctively, she reached for her claw gauntlets, only remembering after she did that she was still in Angel's body.

"Summon the daggers!" Angel hissed, jerking out her gauntlets and slipping them on his own hands.

"How?" she called back. She turned her head to look back at the approaching Heartless, preparing herself as best as she could for the fight.

**Roxas **walked slowly up the snowy path, looking up as dawn's light touched the sky. His breath billowed before him and cold burned his lungs, but his mind was still too clouded to really register the discomfort. He lowered his head, continuing to trudge on.

As he walked, his mind continued to filter through memories. He closed his eyes tightly as he once again saw Xion's death. _Stop it, _he growled angrily at himself.

"Roxas!"

He jerked his head up, eyes blinking open in surprise. Turning around, he saw Koda and Kenai rushing towards him. "How'd…you guys catch up so quickly?" he asked in surprise.

"We woke up before dawn and ran here," Koda replied as he skidded to a halt before him. The young bear looked up at him. "Why'd you leave without us?"

"I…I didn't want anyone else to get hurt," Roxas replied quietly, looking down. "I don't want to drag anyone else into trouble."

"You're not dragging us," Kenai informed him. "We're coming because we want to."

"Yeah!" Koda piped up. "We're a team!" Roxas felt his eyes widen in surprise at his words. He lifted his head, mouth open, but no words came out.

Suddenly, a cry sounded through the air. "What was that?" Kenai asked.

Roxas's mind was whirling as another battle cry echoed through the still air. _Shadow…and Angel!_ "Come on!" he cried, racing along the path in the direction the cries had come from.

He skidded to a halt on a ledge, looking over the side at the scene before him. Shadow and Angel stood on a different path below them, uncertainly confronting a hoard of Heartless. "What are they?" Kenai asked as the two bears caught up to him.

"Monsters," Roxas growled in response. He tried to summon his Keyblade, but, to his surprise, nothing came. _No!_ It was just like when he'd tried to dual wield. He looked to the sky, as if he'd find a sign there. _How am I supposed to help them when I can't use the Keyblade?_

Roxas, you don't need the Keyblade.

"Xion?" he asked aloud, blinking in surprise.

Light flared before his eyes, fading until he found himself in his human-like form, on the cloudy Station of Awakening he'd first visited in Neverland. Before him, he saw Xion standing in the middle of the Station. He dashed forward, but, remembering his dream, paused. He looked into her eyes, desperate hope rising inside him like a caged bird. "Is it…really you?"

"Yes," she murmured in response, though sadness flickered in her gaze.

"Xion, I'm so sorry," Roxas murmured, feeling the slight sting of tears in the corners of his eyes. "I forgot about you…and…and I…" he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"You didn't kill me," she told him quietly. "I told you, it was my choice. And I survived our battle, as you can see."

"I can," Roxas replied, smiling. "But why didn't you tell me before?"

"A friend told me you needed to learn how to deal with this," she replied with a slight smile.

"You ignored them?" Roxas guessed.

"Not exactly," Xion replied. She took a deep breath. "Roxas, you need to let go of the past. Once something has happened, nothing can change it. Look at the mistakes Angel made by holding onto the past."

"But I don't want to forget again!" Roxas cried.

"You don't have to," Xion whispered. "Learn from the past, but don't live in it. You need to be able to accept; to let go; to forgive."

He looked at her in surprise, then recalled the way he'd been acting ever since he'd learned the truth. His eyes clouded at the memory. "Yeah," he murmured in response, "I do."

"I may not be able to leave this Station," Xion murmured as she walked forward, "but I'll always be with you." Slowly, she reached her hand into his pocket and pulled out the seashell. She set it in his hand, placing her own over it.

Light began to flare up around them. Roxas gave her a weak smile. "Thank you, Xion."

Just before he fell into blackness, he thought the clouds had cleared a bit on the floor of the Station of Awakening, revealing three blurry figures in the stained glass.

"**Roxas!"**

He shook his head as he returned to the waking world. He glanced at Koda and Kenai, seeing that they were staring at him with surprise. "I know, I zoned out," he replied. He turned his head to look back at Shadow and Angel fighting against the Heartless. "Now there's something we have to do." Before the two bears could stop him, he jumped off the ledge and into the battle.

He swiped away the Heartless nearest to him, moving into a position in front of Shadow and Angel. "What's going on?" he heard Angel's voice say from behind him. He glanced back at the two of them, eyes glittering. "Roxas?" He gave a slight nod, before turning his head back to face the recovering Heartless.

He felt as if light and energy were welling up within him. _I understand now. In order to save the future, I really do have to face the past. Letting go of the past isn't easy, but I have to try. And I do forgive Angel. _He narrowed his eyes as the Heartless turned their glowing yellow eyes towards him. _After all, we're a team. _As the Heartless lunged for him, he prepared to strike. _And Keyblade or no Keyblade, I'll fight to protect them!_

Light suddenly seemed to spill down from the sky and burst forth from within him at the same time. He felt magic pulsating through him, changing him. The fur of a bear faded away, back to skin. He stood erect as the magic of the spirits faded from him and left him a human-like Nobody once more.

The light that had come from within, however, was not done. It began to settle on him, fading to reveal what lie beneath. His clothes had turned various shades of blue, with armored boots and gauntlets on his hands and feet. A giant blue X made of metal stretched across his chest and back, like that of Sunrise form. _Aura, _a voice hissed in his mind. _Aura form._ He turned his blue eyes onto the Heartless before him, and summoned the Kingdom Key.

When he raised the Keyblade to strike, however, a ball of light shot from it's tip into a Heartless. More prepared for something like this after Sunrise form, he raised his Keyblade and fired another sphere of light into the midst of the Heartless. This one knocked into more, sending them spiraling away into darkness. He ducked away as a Heartless sprang at him, quickly turning the tip of his blade around to shoot it with a sphere of light. The ball forced through the creature, its darkness arcing away into nothing. The sphere continued to travel, colliding into several more Heartless before it faded.

It seemed as if as soon as it had begun, it was over. Roxas lowered his Keyblade, looking back at his two companions. They were looking at they're hands in surprise. Suddenly, Shadow's head shot up with a massive grin. "We're back to normal!" she cried, jumping and wrapping her arms around Angel.

The former Time Racer remained stiff in her hold, an odd expression on his face. "Shadow?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop hugging me." She released him, laughing.

Roxas shook his head, smiling. "You guys want to fill me in?"

"Only after you," Angel replied, nodding his head behind the Nobody. His eyes held a question in their depths.

He nodded, then turned to look as the two bears he'd traveled with slowly crept down the towards them. "These are Kenai and Koda. They helped me get here."

"Hi!" Shadow said ecstatically, bending down to look Koda in the eye. Koda gave her a curious look, though didn't seem too put off by her.

Roxas smiled, Aura form seeming to glow with an inner light, as he looked at the friends that stood before him. They were a team once more.

_That's the end of chapter thirty - nine! Review, please?_


	40. The Jungle

_Here's chapter forty. Thanks go to Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, Confizzledworld, Sunny Lighter, SkyWarrior2, sloganlogan, Sora Tayuya, Clarilune, CatchingForRain, and PhantomGirl12 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Forty: The Jungle**

Roxas couldn't help it; he laughed.

"Please stop," Angel groaned, banging his head against the window of the Gummi ship. They had said good-bye to Kenai and Koda, and had, miraculously, found their ship unharmed nearby…

"I'm sorry," Roxas replied, trying to cut off his laughter, "but…you two switched bodies?"

…and since then, Shadow and Angel had told Roxas their story.

"Well…you turned into a bear!" Shadow countered.

"Fair point," he conceded, though he couldn't stop smiling in his amusement.

"So, where are we going now?" Shadow asked, sounding more like her old self since they'd left Spirit Mountain.

"I don't think it really matters at this point," Roxas replied, serious once more. "Almost every world we've been on, the Time Racers have found us, and not the other way around."

"So, we just land on a world and wait a while for them to come and find us? Sweet!"

"No, not 'sweet'", Angel informed Shadow. "After Roxas's bargaining attempt back in Radiant Garden, they may not be so keen to keep us alive."

"Oh," Shadow said, falling back down into her seat.

Roxas scanned the worlds before them. Deciding quickly, he turned the Gummi ship in the direction of one. Shadow was at his shoulder in an instant. "What's that world?"

"Deep Jungle," he replied.

"You've been there before?" Angel checked. Roxas nodded his response, pulling the Gummi ship up as the neared the ground of the world. The ship hovered for a bit before touching down on the ground.

As usual, Shadow was the first out. Angel sighed. "You'd think she'd slow down eventually."

"She _is_ Shadow," Roxas responded.

The two boys followed after their energetic companion, who was shifting from foot to foot as she waited for them to emerge. "Come on, let's go!" Shadow cried, turning on her heel and getting ready to head off into the jungle that surrounded them.

"Wait," Angel cautioned, catching her arm.

"What?" she whined, glancing back at him.

"Listen," he replied, eyes narrowing.

Roxas was already doing just that. The golden haired Nobody looked up at the trees surrounding them and the Gummi ship, shadows flitting back and forth through their branches. He called the Kingdom Key in a burst of light. "We've got company."

As if on cue, several Power wild Heartless fell from the trees to surround the group. Roxas launched himself forward at the first one, seeing out of the corner of his eye Shadow don her claw gauntlets and Angel summon his daggers, both lunging into battle. Then he'd reached the monkey-like Heartless, and was forced to focus on the battle.

He swung his Keyblade at the Power wild's midsection, sending it flying backwards. The Heartless recovered quickly, flipping back onto its feet and flailing its arms angrily. Roxas drew his weapon in an upwards arc across the Power wild's body, and, before it could recover, brought it back down across its body the same direction it had come. The Heartless exploded into smoke, the heart it had once held floating up towards the sky.

He grunted with sudden surprise as he felt the weight of one of his enemies land on his back. "Get off!" he hissed, ramming himself against the nearest tree. The Heartless, stunned by his maneuver, fell to the ground. He wasted no time in lancing his Keyblade forward the impale it. As soon as that one fell, another Power wild jumped up above his blade, ready to take its place. He flipped his Keyblade to a reverse grip, the blade out, and brought it straight up. The teeth of the Keyblade ripped across the Heartless, stunning it long enough for him to flip his Keyblade back to normal and deal a powerful finishing strike.

He glanced around, checking for any more Heartless. However, Shadow was just finishing off the last one. He let himself relax, dismissing his Keyblade. "Looks like Deep Jungle's still got some Heartless trouble."

"Then it's a good thing we're here!" Shadow proclaimed, grinning and raising her weapon-clad hand. "We can take care of them, no problem!"

"Don't get cocky," Angel told her.

"Well, we can," Shadow replied.

"Whatever you say, Shadow," Angel replied dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Shadow added, rapidly sheathing her gauntlets. "After everything, I kept forgetting to check on your wounds."

Angel froze. "Um, I'm going to leave…now."

"Oh, no you don't!" Shadow cried, grabbing his sleeve and attempting to drag the former Time Racer back towards the Gummi ship.

"Didn't you want to go explore?" Angel asked.

"Bandages first."

Roxas sighed. The argument may get worse, but at least it was a sign that some sense of normality was returning…well, their version of normality. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw Angel slip away, but, instead of running off, turned around and followed Shadow willingly into the Gummi ship. Smirking, he began to follow them.

He paused, however, when he heard rustling in the bushes behind him. He looked behind him, eyes trying to pierce the shadows of the forest. "Hello?" he called tentatively. The rustling increased, and he thought, for a moment, he could hear a growl. He was about to summon his Keyblade when he heard the rustling head off deeper into the forest. _Maybe it was just a shy animal, _he speculated. Somehow, though, he doubted it.

"Roxas!" Shadow called, snapping him back to reality. "I need to check you, too!" Shaking his head, he turned to head into the Gummi ship, glancing nervously over his shoulder one more time as he went.

"**Well?" **Roxas asked as Shadow backed away from him.

She sighed. "You're basically healed, too."

"Finally, no more bandages," Angel sighed in relief, falling back where he sat.

"You hardly got them anyways," she teased. He snorted, choosing not to reply. Then a huge grin spread across her face. "Come on! Now we can go exploring!"

"Not quite, Shadow," Roxas informed her.

"Why not?" she asked, glancing back.

"Its getting late," Roxas replied.

She sighed, looking out at the darkening world from within the Gummi ship. "Fine," she agreed.

The trio settled down around the Gummi ship for the night, each taking up their respective places. As Roxas sat down, he reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out the seashell and slip of paper. He found himself scanning the words on the paper once more, still puzzling over their meaning.

Still awake?

Roxas jumped at the voice that resounded through his head. _Xion! Don't scare me like that!_

Sorry.

He exhaled slowly. _Yeah, I'm still up. Is something wrong?_

You think something needs to be wrong for me to talk to my best friend?

_You didn't before._

…I know. But you needed to find out on your own.

Roxas shook his head. _Never mind. Hey, can I ask you something?_

Of course.

He glanced at the paper he still held in the palm of his hand. _I…found this paper, back in Nottingham. It says on it _'_The gate can only be closed by entering and becoming the sacrifice, the noble only saved by the hands of time.' Do you know what it means?_

…No. I'm sorry, Roxas, but I'm not sure.

_Oh._ He folded the paper back up.

You thought it came from me, didn't you?

_Yeah._ He shrugged it off. Then he blinked, thinking of something he hadn't before. _If I can remember my past now, does that mean I can duel-wield again?_

No. I'm sorry, Roxas. I know that's not the answer you were looking for, but there are still parts of your life you don't understand.

He snorted. _It feels like there's _always _something I don't understand._

I know. But you'll find out. You've just got some more waking up to do, that's all.

_Axel said something similar, you know._

Guess he saw it, too.

Roxas smiled slightly, slipping both of the items in has hand back into his pocket. He enjoyed being able to talk to her again, and found himself feeling like the old times back on the clock tower.

He knew he could never go back. But, glancing at his two companions in the Gummi ship, he knew that, no matter what happened, he'd never be without his friends…whether they were from the past, or the present.

"**How **long has it been since Roxas left?" Kairi whispered.

Riku shrugged. "Long enough."

Sora sighed, falling back against the floor of the cell. "I wish he'd hurry up."

"You mean your Nobody?"

Then trio jumped at the sound of the voice. "Lea!" Sora hissed as the former Heartless entered.

Lea smirked at them. "Been a little while, hasn't it?"

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked. "I heard the Time Racers kicked you out."

"They did," Lea replied. As he neared, the three Keybladers could see the nervousness flickering in his emerald eyes, and noticed how ever now and then he'd glance around warily at his surroundings.

"Then why are you back?" Riku asked him.

"Because I want to ask you something." Lea's gaze flickered to the side and he swallowed nervously before his eyes returned to the Keybladers. "I'm willing to bargain to get the information. But we need to hurry; the Time Racers don't know I'm here yet, but once they do, I'm a dead man."

"Why should we bargain with you?" Sora questioned.

Lea slipped his hand into one of his pockets, pulling out a crystal from within. "See this?" he asked. "There's a barrier up around Time Castle right now. This allows me to travel freely through the barrier. All I have to do is keep it with me."

"Ok," Riku said slowly, "but how does this help us? We're in cells."

Lea shrugged, apparently trying to appear nonchalant. "Fine." He slipped the crystal back into his pocket. "I just figured you might want to plan an escape attempt of your own. Never really took you three for the type to just sit back and wait, but hey, whatever." He looked at them with a sharp gaze, cutting all three off as they began to protest. "Now for my main reason here; how do you get Kingdom Hearts?"

"What?" Kairi yelped in surprise.

"You heard me. I want to know how to get Kingdom Hearts."

"We're not going to tell you!" Sora hissed in reply.

Lea's eyes narrowed. The sound of voices came echoing around them, causing the dark man to freeze. Riku smirked at him. "Sounds like your 'friends' are coming."

Lea glared at them angrily. "Fine!" he hissed. "But your Nobody's not coming back; if the Time Racers don't make sure of that, then _I_ will."

"What?" Sora cried in anger. But Lea was already leaving, darkness swallowing him up.

Sora fell with a thud back to the ground. He glanced over to the cell beside him to see Kairi shivering. "Kairi?" he asked worriedly, wishing he could be over there to comfort her.

Kairi looked at him through the bars of her cell. "Namine's worried," she told him.

"Lea's a jerk," Sora said by way of agreement. "But, I guess he was right about one thing."

"And what's that?" Riku asked as Sora stood once more.

"Well, we can't just sit around here doing nothing while Roxas tries to help us," he replied, grinning. "It's time to form our own escape plan."

_That's the end of chapter forty. Reviews are welcome! _


	41. The Camp

_Here's chapter forty - one. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, PhantomGirl12, caitlinkeitorin, Confizzledworld, surxi25, SkyWarrior2, and a reviewer of KH and SH fanfics for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Forty - One: The Camp**

Roxas blinked his eyes open slowly as sunlight stream in through the windows on the Gummi ship. He sat up, noticing, not with surprise, that Shadow was already missing. Shaking his head, he stood and grabbed something from their remaining bag of food.

It wasn't long before the brown-haired girl had re-appeared in the Gummi ship, eyes shining. "Come on, lazy bums!" she said, grinning.

Angel groaning, covered his head. "Go away, Shadow."

"I could poor water over your head…again," she informed him.

Snorting, the former Time Racer forced himself up and grabbed breakfast of his own. After the two were finished, they were left to follow their energetic companion out into the jungle.

"So," Angel commented as they continued to walk through the jungle, "where are we going?"

"We might as well see if we can find Tarzan, while we're here," Roxas replied, thinking back to Sora's experiences in the world. His two companions nodded, and he took the lead, steering them in the direction he thought the camp was.

"So, all we have to do to get back to Time Castle is get one of those crystal things, right?" Shadow asked as they walked.

"Yeah," Roxas replied in response.

"That should be simple, then! All we have to do is sneak up to one of them, and take a crystal before they notice."

"Wrong," Angel said with a sigh. "You're forgetting that they can teleport through time."

"Well…we could be sneaky."

"You? Sneaky?" Angel quirked an eyebrow, while Shadow stuck her tongue out at him. Roxas just shook his head.

Suddenly, he stopped short, causing Shadow to bump into him. "Why'd you stop?" she asked, pushing herself away.

"We're here," he replied quietly, eyes narrowed slightly.

"Great! Let's go."

"Wait," Roxas said, holding out an arm to bar her way. "It's different from the last time."

"It's probably been a while since you've been here," Shadow countered.

"That's not it," he said in response, eyes scanning the clearing nervously. "Something's wrong."

You're right about that.

He stiffened as he heard the sound of a voice in his head, one that wasn't Xion. What was more, he couldn't actually hear the voice, but rather sensed the words. And what was more, he recognized the feeling; the second voice he'd heard with Xion's in Atlantic, and the one who'd spoken to him in Hollow Bastion. _Who are you? _

Good question, but one that can't be answered now.

Though still curious, he decided to let it pass. _What happened here?_

Use your instincts. It won't take long to find out.

"Yo, Roxas?"

The Nobody blinked back into reality at the sound of Shadow's voice. "Yeah?" he asked, glancing back.

"You zoned out on us," she replied.

He blinked, turning his attention back to the camp. "Let's go," he said, carefully edging out into the space. His companions followed behind him.

_It has to be Heartless, _he thought, looking at the torn and broken items strewn around the campsite, and glancing at the shadows and glowing eyes that flitted between the trees. Picking up a small piece of a broken thought, he grimaced, thinking, _But it'd have to be a pretty big one that did this._

"Look out!" a voice suddenly cried from behind him.

Barely pausing to think, he summoned his Keyblade and spun around simultaneously, his weapon cutting through a lunging Heartless. Glancing up, he saw the woman he remembered from Sora's memories as Jane standing near a pathway. He barely had time to register that before more Heartless converged on him. _Only shadows this time, _he thought as he ducked down under one's lunge, spinning in a low circle to cut through several at once and allowing his momentum to carry him upward, finishing with a powerful upward strike.

He narrowed his eyes in frustration as just as many Heartless that had fallen spawned again. He ducked into a roll to avoid a strike of one clump in unison. Regaining his feet, he slipped around behind them and swiped through them with his Keyblade, jumping back as the ones he didn't hit tried to jump on him. As they prepared their second jump, he flipped the Kingdom Key into a reverse grip and used his arm to brace it against the blow. Returning it to its normal position, he brought it horizontally across the line of encroaching Heartless.

_They just keep coming,_ he thought as he saw more appear. _Is there a spawning point somewhere here, too?_ He lunged forward, blade of the Keyblade out, to impale several of the shadows.

His head shot up in surprise, however, when he heard the sound of a familiar call echoing through the trees. From above, he saw the shape of the man named Tarzan come flying down, spear jabbing into the Heartless.

"Come quickly," Jane said, causing him to jump when he realized she was by his side.

"But…" he glanced at Tarzan as he faced the horde of Heartless.

"He'll be fine," Jane assured him. "But we need to get out of here. He'll follow us later."

Roxas nodded his assent. "Shadow! Angel!" he called. His two companions broke away from the fighting to come over and join him and Jane, the four of them quickly leaving the clearing.

They didn't run far, slowing to a walk not long after leaving the clearing. "Um, shouldn't we be going faster?" Shadow asked, glancing back towards the camp.

"No. They never come this far," Jane assured them. Somehow, that did little to soothe Roxas. His companions seemed to feel the same, as they exchanged uneasy glances. "Now, who are you three?" Jane asked, stopping to turn and face them. "And what exactly were you doing back at camp?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Angel replied dryly, only to have Shadow step hard on his foot.

"I'm Roxas," Roxas replied, ignoring the two behind him. "And these are my friends, Shadow and Angel." He cast about for a reason they were there. "We were, uh…visiting." He knew it sounded lame, but it only took one glance at Jane to know she came from somewhere other than the jungle. He hoped it was enough to convince her.

"Really?" Jane asked. She examined them a bit more closely, adding, "You seem kind of like some people who 'visited' us before, over a year ago, now. Sora, Donald, and Goofy, I think their names were."

"Roxas knows them!" Shadow interjected quickly.

"Really?" Jane asked, as Angel hit Shadow over the head for her remark.

"Uh, yeah," Roxas replied with a nod, half listening to the bickering beginning behind him, and knowing he'd have to break it up soon. "No offense, but why exactly were _you_ back at the camp?"

"I was looking for someone."

The fighting behind him stopped abruptly. "Who?" Angel asked immediately.

"An odd man, one who came here not too long ago. He warded off the Heartless when they first appeared in our camp, allowing us to escape."

"Do you know who he was?" Angel queried, eyes narrowing.

"Well, not exactly," Jane replied uncertainly, "but he called himself the Phoenix."

_Time Racer? _Roxas wondered, frowning slightly, then absently shook his head. _No, probably not._

Jane lifted her head suddenly. "Well, it seems like Tarzan's coming back." Glancing up, Roxas saw the leaves shivering above head in the trees. "Well, I guess we'd best take you to our new camp."

"New camp?" Roxas echoed, lowering his head.

"Well, of course," Jane replied, turning around and walking away. The trio of companions, shrugging, started to follow her.

Beware, Roxas. Darkness lurks between these trees.

The Nobody froze at the sound of the voice once more in his head. Cold malice, like ice water, seemed to suddenly run down his spine. Slowly, he turned his head, eyes seeking the source of the darkness he felt surrounding him.

"Hey, Roxas! You coming?"

"Yeah," Roxas said in response. Slowly, he followed his friends deeper into the jungle, still feeling as if something dark was watching from the shadows.

**Lea **paced restlessly through the streets of Hollow Bastion. His emerald eyes were narrowed in thought. "How do I get Kingdom Hearts?" he growled. He shook his head in frustration. "If I can get that, the Time Racers _will_ include me in their plans." He threw his hands up into the air in frustration. "But _how_?"

He paused, mind suddenly realizing something he hadn't thought of before. "The Nobodies." He immediately called forth a Dusk. The silvery creature looked at him as he began speaking. "I'll cut right to the chase; how do you get Kingdom Hearts?"

The Nobody quivered. _Kingdom Hearts?_

"Yes," Lea replied. "How'd the Organization try and get it?"

_The Key of Destiny destroyed Heartless for us. The released hearts formed Kingdom Hearts._

Lea frowned. "Key of Destiny?"

_The one you call 'Roxas.'_

"Really?" he replied, interest lacing his voice. He nodded. "You may go."

The Dusk, however, paused before leaving. _Will you give us hearts after getting Kingdom Hearts?_

Lea snorted. "I'm not trying to get Kingdom Hearts for the hearts in it!" he hissed in response.

The Nobody tilted its head to one side. _Then why are you?_

"So that the Time Racers can't forget about me." His eyes narrowed in anger. "They wanted me to help them achieve their goal; fine, I'll go along with that. But I won't let them forget about me. I want a part of whatever their hoping to achieve." He suddenly shot an angry glare at the Dusk still standing before him. "What are you still standing there for? Go!" The Nobody, as calm as ever, jumped into the air and swirled into a portal of darkness.

Lea, smirking, turned and began walking slowly away. _How interesting, _he thought. _The Nobody who was the reason for my coming back, and probably also the reason it's no longer safe at Time Castle for me, is going to be the key to Kingdom Hearts._ Still smirking, he laughed aloud. "So, Roxas, Nobody of the 'great' Keyblade Master, destroy a few Heartless for me, will you? Then I can get Kingdom Hearts…and finally find out what the Time Racers have planned."

With those parting words, Lea disappeared into a gout of shadows, leaving his home world behind.

He never knew that a pair of eyes had witnessed this exchange. "Oh, no," King Mickey said worriedly. He looked to the sky. "I'd better let Leon and the others know." As he turned and headed away, he shook his head. "This isn't good.

_That's the end of chapter forty - one! Feel free to tell me what you think!_


	42. Visions of Darkness

_Here's chapter forty - two. Thank you Flightfoot, Confizzledworld, Sora Tayuya, PhantomGirl12, SkyWarrior2, Graphicsnerd, Clarilune, kingdomdisney, and a reader of KH and SH fanfics for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Forty - Two: Visions of Darkness**

Roxas, Shadow, and Angel followed silently behind their guide and Tarzan, who was swinging far above in the trees. Suddenly, Jane stopped, halting the trio following behind her. "Well, here we are," she said, gesturing toe the space before her.

As they stepped out from behind her, they saw what appeared to be a make-shift version of the camp that was now filled with Heartless. Sitting near the center was Jane's father. He looked up, surprised, at their arrival. "Hello, Jane!" he cried by way of greeting. "Where's Tarzan?"

From the treetops above dropped the ape man. "Does that answer you question?" Jane replied, sounding amused.

"Did you find that Phoenix fellow?"

"No," she replied slowly, "but, I did find some interesting people." Roxas stepped forward, Shadow and Angel behind him. "Daddy, these are Roxas, Shadow, and Angel. They know Sora."

"Oh, yes, that fellow who came here a while back!" Mr. Porter said by way of understanding.

"Have you seen anyone else strange?" Roxas asked them.

"Only the Heartless," Jane informed him.

Roxas frowned. _So the Time Racers aren't here. Yet, anyways._ Surprisingly, though, the idea worried him more than comforted him. They needed to find the Time Racers in order to get a crystal and get back to Time Castle. _And they know that we know that._

The realization hit him like a rock. _They couldn't get the information they wanted. And now we know how to get back._ His eyes clouded with worry. _It's no longer a matter of simply landing on a world and waiting for the Time Racers to find us. This time, _we _have to find _them.

"Is he alright?" Jane asked, half-bringing him back into reality.

"Yeah, he does that a lot," Shadow informed her.

"Is there anything we can do about the Heartless?" Roxas murmured distractedly.

"Why, that'd be wonderful," Mr. Porter replied.

"Alright!" Shadow cried, jubilant. "Let's kick some Heartless butt!"

"Hold up," Angel interjected. "We don't know enough about them to fight them."

"Oh, _come on_!" Shadow cried. "They're Heartless! We've fought them thousands of times before."

"Yes, but Roxas was right; there was something strange about these ones."

"What? That they kept reappearing?" Shadow shrugged, nonchalant. "Maybe there was a spawning point. Then, all we have to do is destroy it, and bam, no more problem."

"Will you think?" Angel asked in exasperation. "The last time there was a spawning point, they were all over. That obviously isn't happening here; they're basically only at the camp."

"Well, it_ could_ be," Shadow argued.

Their growing argument was interrupted by Mr. Porter's laugh. "Well, they're an interesting couple, aren't they?"

The two suddenly turned red, edging away from each other. "Couple? We're not a couple," Shadow said quickly.

Roxas tried to ignore the awkwardness that seemed to ensue from his two companions. "Maybe we could search for what's causing the Heartless to appear." _Maybe we'll find the Time Racers, too._

"A hunt, eh?" Mr. Porter said.

"But, this forest is huge," Jane argued.

For the first time, Tarzan spoke up. "Search from the trees."

"You'd be willing to show them?" Jane asked him. The ape man nodded his assent.

"Splendid!" Mr. Porter cried. "Why don't you four talk things over, and you can leave first thing in the morning."

As the others began to separate to their own devices, Roxas caught Shadow and Angel. "I need to talk to you two."

"What?" Angel asked as the they turned around to face him.

"I don't think the Time Racers are going to just appear, like they did before," Roxas began.

"Why not?" Shadow asked.

"The trade at Hollow Bastion. They didn't get information, but we did."

"And now they're probably worried about losing one of their crystals to us," Angel finished.

"Right."

Shadow looked between the two of them. "Well, what can we do about it?"

He was hoping they'd had some ideas. "Maybe…Angel, could you use your powers to find out if they've been to any other worlds?"

The former Time Racer's eyes hardened. "No." He spun around on his heel and left.

Shadow winced. "Shouldn't have said that." She followed after him, leaving Roxas to wonder what he'd missed.

"This is awesome!"

"This is crazy!"

"This is…Deep Jungle." Roxas gave a line of his own with a sigh, looking at his two companions as they stared at the vines dangling before them.

"Weren't we waiting until tomorrow to go out?" Angel queried, eyeing the vines suspiciously.

"Practice," Tarzan informed them.

"Just watch him," Roxas told them. He wasn't sure he wanted to include himself. After all, Sora hadn't always done so well on these vines; he wasn't expecting to do much better.

Tarzan raced forward, jumping and grabbing the nearest vine. Clinging to it, he swung for a few moments, before jumping to the next vine in reach. "Looks simple," Shadow replied as she watched. "Do we really have to run on all fours, though?"

"Why would you even ask that?" Angel asked her dryly.

"You never know!" She ran forward and jumped, sliding a bit as she grabbed the vine. She swung a bit on it before pushing herself towards the next vine and hanging from it in a clumsy grab. Angel, snorting, ran and jumped onto the vine next. He waited until Shadow had made it to the next vine before swinging to the next vine, grabbing it and hanging on with less fumbling than Shadow.

Then it was Roxas's turn. He ran forward and jumped onto the vine. The force of momentum from his run brought him straight to the next vine, which, since Angel had already move on, he instantly grabbed. He swung a bit as he waited for Angel to move to the next one in the line before increasing the strength of his swing to reach the next vine in the row, grabbing it and letting go of the previous one simultaneously. _Maybe I'm better at this than Sora,_ he thought with a smirk.

They were making progress. Slowly, but they _were_ moving. Roxas swung on his vine, reaching for the next one, when the voiceless words echoed through his mind:

Quickly! Look below you!

Startled, Roxas missed the vine, his swinging backwards the way he'd come. He looked down, only to see a shadow flitting through the trees.

…You missed it.

"Missed what?" Roxas asked, his surprise causing him to speak aloud.

The Heartless.

_What are you talking about? _Roxas hissed, silent this time, as he swung for the vine again. _And why didn't you speak to me that much before now? It was always Xion before._

It was Xion who convinced me to speak to you now.

Surprise again made him miss the vine. "Come on, Roxas!" Shadow called from further up. _You know Xion?_ Roxas asked him in surprise.

Yes. I've talked to her quite a bit.

_Really?_ Roxas narrowed his eyes, beginning to swing once more towards the vine that awaited him. In the meantime, he decided to ask a question: _What about the Time Racers? What do you know about them?_

Before the voiceless entity could respond, he heard an ominous snapping sound. Looking up, he saw the vine straining, beginning to break apart. He quickly stretched out his arm, reaching for the next vine. His fingers had just grazed the plant when his vine snapped completely off. "Roxas!" an alarmed voice called as he tumbled through the air.

Roxas's mind, however, was hardly on the fact that he was falling. Instead, it was focused on the same Station of Awakening he'd been to before when Xion had spoken to him; only this time, there was a knew figure there; one that he almost thought he recognized before the image blurred too much for him to tell.

_Who are you?_

"**Roxas!"** Xion cried in alarm.

Her companion shifted nervously behind her. "Maybe talking to him while he was swinging on vines wasn't the best idea."

Xion's eyes narrowed. "No, it wasn't!"

"At least I'm talking to him now."

"You could have reached out before, too!" she snapped. In truth, she wasn't so much angry as she was worried that he friend would be hurt, and feeling helpless because all she could do was watch.

"…Better late than never?" She turned and glared, and her companion gave a sigh. "I'm sorry. I know, stupid idea." There was a pause where a hand rested on her shoulder. "I know how you feel, you know."

"Really?" she snorted, brushing off the hand.

"Really?" A humorless laugh came from her companion. "After all, I've been trapped, too. True, I can move to different Stations, but I can't go into the physical world. I know what it's like to feel helpless while everyone you care about has to struggle on their own."

Xion looked up, feeling unwanted tears touching the corners of her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, it's just-" she cut off suddenly, a splitting pain lancing through her head.

"Xion!" She felt more than saw the body of her companion kneel down next to her. "What's wrong?"

"My…head," she groaned, gripping it with both hands. The throbbing pain seemed to increase, drowning out all sense of what was happening around her in reality.

In her mind, however, new images flashed, vivid and terrifying.

_Two figures fought in a dim, torch-lit room. Blades locked briefly in combat before the two warriors jumped apart once more. Shadows seemed to flit around the room as if alive, while there were only a few bare patches of stark light. The whole room resembled a mosaic of shadows._

_The two fighting figures could only be seen for brief flashes, yet they were still clearer than much of the rest of the happenings in the room. Two shapes briefly appeared before dipping into shadows again. A shape hung in shadows too deep to discern what it was. The only thing that remained untouched by the darkness was the glowing portal at the far end of the room._

_For a few moments, the two blade of the fighting warriors met, sparks flying from the collision of blades. Then, one figure pushed the other back. The warrior who had been pushed back stumbled, falling into a pool of light, metallic white hair cast in an odd glow. Zylen, leader of the Time Racers, looked up, fear and defiance worn on his face like a mask. Then, the blade of the second warrior came down upon him, impaling him. Blood spurted from the wound, and Zylen gagged, eyes wide and mouth agape. Then his eyes seemed to roll back in his head, falling limply to the floor, his crimson blood staining the patch of light._

_The second warrior stepped forward, cast in eerie shadows and highlights. Slowly, he drew the blade out of the dead Time Racer. Stained with blood, a smirk stretched across his face, and a dark light glittered in his eyes._

"Xion!" As her companion shook her, she was able to shake off the terrible vision that had filled her mind. She looked up at her companion, who spoke, looking nervous. "Are you Ok?"

She looked away from the terrible lie she was about to tell. "Y-yeah."

She tried to keep herself from shivering. That vision…it couldn't have just been a dream, of any kind. She knew it wasn't, as sure as she knew that it wasn't the past. Something deep inside her was telling her this was what the future held. She tried to deny it desperately, though, odd as it seemed, she knew inside it was true. Tried to deny it because of the last thing she'd seen.

The dark figure she'd seen, standing over the dead body of Zylen, was Roxas.

_That's the end of chapter forty - two. Review, please?_


	43. The Hunt

_Here's chapter forty - three! Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, PhantomGirl12, Graphicsnerd, Flightfoot, Sora Tayuya, kingdomdisney, Confizzledworld, Clarilune, SkyWarrior2, and Jaicer for reviewing last chapter!_

_I agree with all of you on Xion's vision; Roxas wouldn't, under normal conditions, do something like that. So what could push him so far off normal that he would?_

**Chapter Forty - Three: The Hunt**

Roxas shook his head. The motion cleared the blurry vision from his mind, snapping him back into reality. Which brought to his attention that he was still falling. Acting on instinct, he twisted in midair, eventually maneuvering himself so that his feet were aimed towards the ground. He bent his knees as he hit the ground, taking some of the force of the impact. That didn't stop it from being painful, however, and he fell down onto one knee for a few moments.

"Roxas! You alright?"

He looked up into the treetops to see Shadow, Angel, and Tarzan all staring down at him. "Yeah!" he called back up, forcing himself back to his feet.

"I thought you'd done this before!" Shadow called down to him in amusement.

_As Sora._ He didn't feel the need to say that aloud. Instead, he searched for a way back up, eventually finding it in the form of a vine draped down by Angel. As he made his way onto branches, he saw all three giving him expectant looks. "Let's keep practicing," he suggested, though he knew that wasn't what they were looking for. He was grateful when none of them pressed it, instead choosing to continue swinging through the trees.

As he continued to practice, however, he couldn't help wondering about what he'd seen, and why that figure had seemed so familiar. _You've got some more waking up to do;_ that's what Xion had said. This must have been what she meant.

But what else could there be about himself that he still didn't know?

**Though **the darkness of night had settled over Deep Jungle, Roxas couldn't manage to fall asleep. Sleeping in the new camp for the night, his mind was filled with unanswered questions. He pulled out the seashell from his pocket, holding it up and looking at it. _There's one person who may be able to answer some of them._ He closed his eyes, tightening his hand around the seashell. "Xion?" he asked aloud.

For a few moments, he thought she hadn't heard, or that she simply wasn't going to answer. He sighed, getting ready to try again, when he heard her reply:

Roxas?

He blinked at the sound of her voice. Surprise was there, though that could be expected. But there was something else underlying her tone, something that almost sounded like…fear. His pushed it aside, instead saying silently, _I need to ask you something._

…What?

_There's another voice coming to me. One I can't identify. This voice told me you were the one who convinced it to talk to me._

It?

_It's a voice…without a voice. _He paused, not quite sure how to explain it better. _I guess that's kind of confusing. But, Xion, do you have any idea who the owner of that voice is?_

…Roxas, I - yes, I know who it is.

There were a few moments of silence before he asked, _Will you tell me?_

No. You need to figure out who you are - who you _really_ are - on your own, Roxas.

He blinked in surprise. Her voice was filled with sudden urgency…and fear, stronger than before. _What's going on?_

…I have to go.

_Xion!_ If she heard him, she didn't respond, leaving Roxas frustrated. He slipped the seashell back into his pocket. "Still no more answers." His closed his eyes, trying once more to sleep and push the many questions he had out of his mind.

"**Time **to get up!" Roxas blinked his eyes open at the sound of Shadow's voice just as the milky light of dawn began to paint the sky. _I guess I managed to get some sleep after all, _he thought, sitting up.

"It's not even light yet, Shadow," Angel groaned from his spot at the base of a tree.

"It's _starting_ to get light," she retorted. "Besides, Jane's dad said first thing in the morning."

Angel snorted, closing his eyes tighter. Shadow, in response, poked him with the tips of her claw gauntlets. "Hey!" he growled, grabbing her hand as she moved to do it again.

Shadow was grinning in triumph. "See? You're awake."

"Unwillingly," Angel growled in response. They were still for a few moments before Angel let go of Shadow's hand and stood. Roxas, snorting with amusement, followed suit.

The sun was a bit higher in the sky, however, when Tarzan appeared. Jane and Mr. Porter appeared from their tents. "Ready to go?" Jane asked.

"Yeah," Roxas replied with a nod.

"Good luck!" Mr. Porter told them as Shadow gripped some sturdy-looking ivy clinging to one of the trees and began climbing upwards.

"And be careful," Jane added as Angel and Tarzan followed. Roxas stopped to give her a brief nod, showing that he'd watch them - and himself - before climbing up after his companions.

The four quickly began their search from the trees, swinging from vine to vine with more ease than before. "So, we're looking for a spawning point, right?" Shadow asked.

Thinking back to the condition of the old camp, and what the second voice had said, Roxas wasn't so sure. "Maybe."

"What else would it be?" Angel asked.

"Maybe another Heartless," he suggested hesitantly, not entirely sure he was right.

"Heartless don't usually control other Heartless," Angel commented.

"Darksides do," Roxas responded. Before anyone else could comment, he added, "It might be a person controlling them, too."

"But why would they keep calling up so many in the camp?" Shadow asked.

Angel nearly missed his next vine as he blinked in surprise. "Is Shadow actually thinking for once?" In response, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm just saying that it's possible it's something else," Roxas said, ignoring Angel's previous comment.

"Ok." Shadow swung to the next vine before adding, "But I'm still checking around for a spawning point."

The four continued, but none had to ask where they were going. They all knew the best place to find answers was the camp. They stopped when they reached it, each balancing on branches surrounding the open space. A few Heartless appeared on the ground for brief moments before jumping back into darkness. Roxas watched them a few moments, eyes narrowed, before glancing around at his companions. "Let's go."

The four each made their way through the trees in different directions, searching for any hint as to what were causing the Heartless to spawn. Roxas kept his eyes open for a spawning point, though he wasn't really hopeful of finding one. His mind was focused on the condition of the camp, and the aura of darkness he could still sense around it.

Come on, Roxas.

He jumped in surprise at the voice in his head. _You!_ his mind cried in surprise.

Yes, me. Were you expecting Xion?

Thinking back to their conversation the night before, he settled onto a branch, replying, _No, not really._

Back to the point. You know something's going on here that doesn't involve a spawning point, so why are you looking for one?

He blinked as he looked down into the ravaged camp. _I could be wrong._

You know the Heartless you saw couldn't do something like that.

He could respond to that.

Use your instincts, Roxas. And the skills you learned from the Organization.

He sensed the second presence fading, and he exhaled slowly. "Right." He wasn't sure he wanted to be reminded of his past with them Still, he figured it was worth a try. "This camp wasn't destroyed by the Heartless we fought. They probably did some of it, but something bigger did most of it." He half closed his eyes, rattling off details to himself. "Not only did the other voice say Heartless, but I thought I saw yellow eyes and heard rustling when we first got here. And then there's the darkness…" he trailed off, his eyes narrowed in thought. Then he turned his gaze towards the ground. _It's hard to see, but not invisible. Maybe the darkness around it will give it away._ He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on it's dark aura.

He caught it; only for a split second, but he felt a brief increase in darkness. He snapped his eyes open, looking in the direction of the increase. He just glimpsed a dark shape prowling below him. Taking a deep breath, he jumped down, summoning his Keyblade as he fell. The Heartless looked upward in time to get hit in the head with his blade. He kicked himself away from it at the impact, landing with a thud in the dirt.

Looking up at the massive creature, yellow eyes glowing with malice, he knew he'd found the source. "Over here!" he shouted, hoping the others heard him. Then it was upon him, and all he could do was fight back.

**Zylen **treaded the halls of Time Castle slowly. His eyes were narrowed, his fists clenched in anger. "How is it," he growled, "that instead of falling apart, they grow closer?" He stopped before a door, slamming his fist against it. "It should have torn them apart! Damn you, Lea!" He wrenched the door open, stalking into the nearly pitch-black room and slamming the door behind him.

Three Time Racers watched him nervously from the shadows. As he entered the room, they slowly came out, all looking at each other with different expressions. "Seems like we could be going on a hunt for Lea very soon," Kisue commented.

"Wouldn't surprise me," agreed Domian.

"He deserves it, after what he told them," Hilran hissed.

"But if Zylen hadn't told us to leave," Kisue responded, "would he have told?"

"He's a two-faced traitor!" Hilran spat in response.

"You would've done the same in his shoes," Kisue retorted. Hilran glared at him, but didn't have a response for that.

"If we do hunt Lea," Domian cut in, "we'll have to be careful. We can't risk losing one of the crystals now that they know."

Hilran snorted. "I say we should just finish them off now. We could beat them."

"I wouldn't risk it," Kisue responded.

"What, you scared?" Hilran taunted.

"No," Kisue replied, though his eyes said otherwise.

"I don't see why Zylen won't let us do it." Hilran hissed, glancing at the closed door.

"Orders are orders," Domian responded. His glare reminded them what happened when orders were disobeyed. Then he stalked off down the halls.

Zylen, alone in the room, had heard the entire conversation. He snorted. "It made them grow closer," he growled, "but it appears it's made us weaker." He stalked forward, to hold his hands over the dark sphere that held his captured Keyblade. For a moment, he considered reaching in and taking hold of it, right now. "No," he growled, jerking his hand away. "I need to wait." He turned around, heading for the door. "Soon, it will be time to open the gate."

_That's the end of chapter forty - three. Reviews are welcome!_


	44. When You Need It

_Here's chapter forty - four. Thanks go to DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, SkyWarrior2, PhantomGirl12, caitlinkeitorin, kelseyluv2read16, a reader of KH and SH fanfics, theGrimSleeper, Sora Tayuya, Confizzledworld, and kingdomdisney for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Forty - Four: When You Need It**

Roxas slipped to one side as the Heartless pounced, barely avoiding its outstretched claws. It slid past him, into the open light of the camp's clearing. Seeing it clearly for the first time, he saw its generally feline shape, and realized that though it was bigger than the average Heartless, it wasn't as big as he'd first thought. Odd, dull markings ranged across it, and its feet all held sharp claws.

The Heartless lifted its lips in a feral snarl. _Well, there's no way they could miss it now, _he thought. Brandishing his Keyblade, he dashed forward. The Heartless hissed at him, dodging nimbly away just before his strike, leaving him to strike through thin air. He spun around quickly to see the Heartless was springing back toward him. He raised the Kingdom Key quickly, letting the jaws of his enemy close around it.

Suddenly, the Heartless released its grip on his weapon and let out a roar. Ducking to the side, Roxas saw a spear had lodged itself in the Heartless's black shoulder. A familiar battle cry echoed through out the camp just before Tarzan jumped out of the trees. A poor imitation of the same cry came from across the clearing as Shadow followed suit, though she landed more awkwardly than Tarzan had. Angel, just behind her, gave an exasperated sigh and lunged forward, slipping to one side at the last moment to slice one of his daggers through the dark flesh of the Heartless. Shadow, jumping up, copied him on its other side.

"Thanks," Roxas told his companions.

"No problem," Shadow replied with a grin.

Angel narrowed his eyes at the Heartless before them. "But that might be."

All four were now looking at the cat-like creature. Roxas lunged forward as he saw the Heartless had managed to twist its head around and grab the staff of the spear. He brought his weapon up in a powerful upward slash, intending to strike before the Heartless was ready to fight again. To his surprise, the Heartless didn't drop the spear; instead, it used the weapon to block his blow, quickly twisting its head afterwards the stab at him. Startled, he jumped back, rejoining his friends.

"Since when do Heartless do _that_?" Shadow asked in surprise. All she got were shrugs in reply. Then they were forced to dodge as the Heartless lunged for them.

"Roxas." The Nobody glanced over to where Tarzan had landed. The ape-man looked at him, then back to the Heartless, which still gripped the spear in its mouth. "Together."

Roxas nodded, turning his blue-eyed gaze back to their enemy. The Heartless stalked forward a couple of paces, then dashed forward. Both tensed, holding their ground until Roxas cried, "Dodge!" Both slipped to either side of the Heartless, leaving it to slide to a halt in surprise. As Roxas slipped by, he swung his Keyblade out to hit the edge of the spear. The force of the action forced the Heartless's head to turn towards Tarzan. The ape-man wasted no time in grabbing onto the spear still clasped tightly in the Heartless's jaws.

Roxas didn't watch the two struggle for control of the weapon for long. He jumped up, landing with his feet planted on the Heartless's back. Startled, the cat-like creature let go of the spear, beginning to rear up and twist its head back. As he began to fall, he lunged his Keyblade forward, jabbing the point into the Heartless's back. He didn't get it in very deep before the Heartless started twisting, trying to shake him off. He clung to the hilt of his Keyblade as the motions tossed him around.

He felt the blade of his weapon begin to lose its grip in the black hide. Amidst the Heartless's frantic attempts to dislodge him, he swung his legs forward, managing to plant his feet enough on the Heartless's back to jump clear with his Keyblade in hand. In that same instant, Shadow and Angel darted forward as one, weapons stretched forward to cut through either side of the Heartless as they had done before.

The cat-like creature let out a roar of agony. As it set its glowing yellow eyes on them, pools of darkness began to seep out of its paws. Heartless spawned from them, lunging out in all directions, while the feline Heartless sprang directly upward, into the trees. Roxas blocked the attack of a Power Wild, eyes shifting to where he'd seen the cat Heartless land. That slip of attention allowed the Heartless to slip through his defenses, slashing at him multiple times before jumping away. Roxas lunged forward in the same instant, tip of his Keyblade stretched forward to impale the Heartless.

Seeing that more Heartless were converging on him, he spun a quick circle with his Keyblade out, forcing the hordes back. He crouched before jumping powerfully upward to slash across some Power Wilds who had begun to jump towards him. As he landed, he cast a frustrated glance up towards the branches of the trees.

His companions were obviously thinking the same thing. "This is hopeless!" Angel hissed as he spun his daggers around to cut through more Heartless.

"How are we going to get to it?" Shadow asked, pausing briefly to glance around the camp in search of the hidden Heartless before she was forced to cut through smaller ones with her gauntlets.

_Maybe…a form would help?_ Instinctively, Roxas reached for the power of Sunrise form. To his frustration, he found its power inaccessible to him. _Not again!_ He forced back a few more Heartless, eyes narrowing as he tried to reach for the new power of Aura form. He let out a cry of frustration to find that that, too, was blocked, his weapon slashing blindly through several Heartless before him. _What are the point of forms if I can't use them?_

The point of them is to teach you something.

There was only momentary surprise as he heard the sound of the second voice resound through his head. He half closed his eyes, flipping his blade into a reverse grip as he brought it upward. _Didn't I learn them already? Isn't that how I accessed them?_ He flipped the Keyblade back to normal as he brought it in a downward slash, obliterating the Heartless before him.

To his surprise, it was Xion, not the second voice, who answered him.

You had to learn something to access them, yes. But you won't be able to access their powers freely until you've fully awakened.

Roxas gritted his teeth in frustration. _And when does that happen? When do I finally find out what other secrets there are about me?_ He spun around, cutting through more Heartless and casting a glance towards the trees in the hopes of glancing the cat-like Heartless before turning his attention back to the battle at hand.

If he expected an answer from Xion or the second voice, he didn't get one.

He whipped his Keyblade around to slice at a Heartless, performing a three-strike combo to destroy it. _No forms right now. And I'm worn, but not enough to use Limit._ There was a momentary lull, enough to let him take a deep breath and focus his mind. _Force isn't going to work too well this time. We're going to have to outsmart this Heartless._

The lull ended, forcing Roxas to focus more on the battle once more. He rolled away from a few Power Wilds, slipping behind them and delivering a long stroke across each of their backs before slipping around the other side and cutting them again from the front. As he fought, though, something tugged at the back of his mind. And the more he fought, the more that something became clear.

_Why did the Heartless only attack the camp?_

He mentally kicked himself. _Why didn't I see this before?_ Jumping away from some Heartless, he called out, "Shadow! Angel! Tarzan!"

"Yeah?" Shadow called from where she was warding off some Heartless.

"What?" was Angel's response as he jumped briefly out of the battle. Tarzan jabbed some Heartless with his spear, giving him a nod to show he'd heard.

"The Heartless had to pick the camp for a reason," Roxas said, "and we're going to use it to lure it out of hiding."

"But what is it?" Shadow called as her claw gauntlets cut through another of the smaller Heartless.

"I don't know," Roxas admitted, turning his attention back to the battle. "Just look for anything unusual." He caught a Power Wild with his Keyblade, sending it flying backwards.

As he once again began spinning through the dance of battle, he began edging backwards towards one of the torn up tents. He forced the Heartless back a few paces before daring to turn and part the tarp. He whipped around to swipe at a few more Heartless before whipping back around and rapidly scanning the contents of the tent. He felt the weight of one of the Heartless land on his back. "Get off!" he hissed, letting himself fall to the ground and crushing the Heartless beneath him. The Heartless's grip loosened, and he was able to slip away, whipping back around quickly to impale it. _There has to be a better way to do this._

His head shot up in surprise as he heard a cry of alarm. He whipped around to see a horde of Heartless beginning to encroach on Shadow. She glared at them, waving on claw gauntlet at them, while she held the other away from them, fingers curled into a fist. Roxas dashed forward, intending to help her force back the horde.

Angel was faster. The former Time Racer dashed forward, spinning his daggers so that they cut through the Heartless beginning to surround Shadow. He stopped when the immediate threat had passed, glancing over his shoulder to tell her, "I've got your back."

"Thanks, but look at this!" As Roxas reached them, she uncurled her fist to reveal what she held within it. "I thought it was odd, so I picked it up." Angel whipped around to ward of more Heartless while Shadow continued to explain to Roxas. "When I did, even _more_ Heartless attacked, so I decided I should probably keep it away from them."

Roxas nodded, looking at the object in her hand. "A Gummi block," Roxas murmured. "This would definitely be something that could attract that Heartless."

Shadow gave her usual grin, then lifted her hand, gripping the Gummi block while still letting it show. "Here, kitty, kitty! We have your precious Gummi block!" There was a roar from the trees, and the Heartless began to converge more thickly around them.

Angel growled with frustration. "Here, why don't we try this." He jumped back towards them, raising one dagger a touching its point to the Gummi block. Another roar, higher pitched this time, sounded from the trees. The Heartless suddenly stopped attacking, freezing for only a few moments before disappearing into darkness. From the trees, the feline Heartless jumped down.

"Nice trick," Shadow commented.

"You learn some things from being part of the Time Racers," Angel commented dryly.

Tarzan slipped over to them, watching the Heartless as warily as it watched them. "What we do?" he asked, spear poised to ward off their enemy at any moment.

"Fight, of course," Shadow said, grinning and beginning to lower her hand as Angel removed his dagger. The Heartless immediately tensed.

"Wait," Roxas hissed. Shadow, as usual, didn't listen. She lowered her hand completely, lunging forward with claw gauntlets outstretched. The Heartless hissed at her, swiping at her with claws of its own as she neared. She cried out with surprise as the claws grazed the skin of her arm. They caught under the edge of one of her gauntlets, pulling it off. "The Gummi block!" she cried in alarm, looking to where her gauntlet landed.

Angel groaned. "Why didn't she give it to someone else first?"

_No use worrying about what's already happened,_ Roxas decided firmly. _Right now, we just have to get the Gummi block._ Having it was the only sure chance that the Heartless they fought wouldn't spawn more. So when the cat-like creature stepped in front of Shadow to stop her dash for her weapon, Roxas made a dash of his own. He ran past the Heartless, which whipped its head around a fraction of a second too late to grab him with its jaws. He didn't stop to look back as he dived for the gauntlet, rolling over in an attempt to get out of the way. To his dismay, he found the Heartless jumping forward, not providing time to escape and little time to block.

Light suddenly flared around him. As he closed his eyes tightly, he thought he could hear the second voice saying these words:

Your forms while come when you need them the most.

Then his eyes flashed open. He whipped his Keyblade around so that the tip faced the Heartless, firing a sphere of light directly at it. The Heartless let out a startled cry as it was sent flying backwards, and he jumped to his feet in the blue of Aura form.

As the Heartless righted itself, he tossed Shadow's gauntlet back to her, slipping the Gummi block into his own hand as he did so. He tensed, ready for the Heartless to lunge at them again. To his surprise, it arched its back instead, the markings that had once seemed so dull beginning to glow. After a few surprised moments, the Heartless roared, and a beam of energy shot from its mouth towards the group. The four were unable to dodge, the beam hitting them powerfully. Roxas let out a cry of pain as the blow hit him, trying to quickly right himself as he landed.

"Ah, man!" he heard Shadow exclaim. "That thing has all sorts of tricks!"

A light went on in Roxas's head. "But maybe we can use this one we can use to our advantage." As his companions looked at him curiously, he replied, "Get ready."

He looked at the Heartless, who, hissing, began to gather energy once more. This time, Roxas didn't waste a moment. He fired a sphere of light directly at it. The Heartless let out a roar as the light hit it in the head, causing it to falter and abruptly stop its gathering of energy.

Shadow, Angel, and Tarzan all saw their chances. Shadow lunged first, slipping to one side to dig her gauntlets deeply into the Heartless. Angel was second, digging his daggers in on the other side. And last was Tarzan, who ran straight forward and jabbed his spear into the center of its head. The Heartless looked up at him, jaws gaping open without a sound. Then darkness began to spiral upward from its body, leaving only a few smears of black blood and a gray heart behind.

Angel shook his head as he watched the gray heart float away. "He did it again."

"Hey! I found the Gummi block!" Shadow cried in protest.

Roxas nodded. "Shadow's right; we did it."

Despite the happy aura surrounding the group, however, Roxas couldn't help but have a sense of self-doubt. _How much longer, _he wondered, _before I finally understand everything about…myself?_

_That's the end of chapter forty - four. Review, please?_


	45. Confusion

_**Here's chapter forty - five. Thank you caitlinkeitorin, Confizzledworld, kingdomdisney, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter.**_

**Chapter Forty - Five: Confusion **

Roxas looked up at the setting sun. "We should head on, now that the Heartless have been taken care of," he commented quietly to Shadow and Angel.

The trio, along with Tarzan, had returned to the make-shift camp earlier that day. After informing Jane and Mr. Porter of what had happened, both had decided that they'd return to the old camp the next day and see if they could fix things up.

Shadow frowned. "What? We aren't going to help them rebuild the camp?"

Roxas gave a tired sigh. "This is _their_ world, not ours." Then again, how often could they say they actually belonged to a world? He shook his head. "Besides, we have to keep looking for signs of the Time Racers."

"You sound like something's bothering you," Angel commented.

"No, of course not," he responded automatically, nearly wincing at how great a lie that was. He put on a fake smile as he looked at them. "Let's just get some sleep." Shadow and Angel looked at each other, then back to Roxas before, as one, they spun around and headed back towards the tent they'd borrowed.

Roxas hesitated before following them, turning his eyes to the darkening sky. _They're getting along better then usual,_ he thought. _Maybe what happened at Spirit Mountain really helped with them._ He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. _But what about me? When do _I_ finally find out the truth? And what happens then? _He opened his eyes, blue orbs staring at the flickering points of light in the sky. For a moment, it seemed almost as if a faint line stretched between each of them. He blinked in surprise, dispelling the image. He smirked, shaking his head. Then his eyes darkened once more. _How long's it been since this whole thing started?_

He shook himself, forcing a smile once more. _Doesn't matter. We'll save the others. I have to believe that._ Shoving away all depressing thoughts, he spun on his heel and headed towards the tent.

All the while knowing that when that day did come, he'd have to give everything back once more. And trying to ignore the thing inside him that rebelled against it.

_**Roxas **__found himself stumbling through a field of gray. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten there, nor why. "Hello?" he called nervously, his voice sounding oddly muted. "Is anyone out there?"_

"_Roxas," a voice murmured in response._

_He recognized the voice immediately. "Xion!"_

_As if in response to his words, she appeared before him, seeming to materialize from a shroud of mist. As he approached her, however, she took a step back, eyes glittering with fear. "What's wrong?" he asked, hesitating._

_She didn't answer him directly. Instead, she whispered, "You must find out who you are."_

_His eyes widened as she began to fade back into the gray. "Wait!" he cried in alarm. He reached out to grab her, only to find his arm stretching through empty air, Xion's form dissipating like mist in the morning sunlight._

**Roxas's **eyes flew open wide. He lay where he was a few moments, inhaling deeply. "It was just a dream," he murmured into the dark, still air. A nightmare was more correct. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he murmured silently, _Xion?_ he thought he could feel something, like a trace of her presence, before it disappeared from his senses entirely.

Shaking, he reach a hand into his pocket. It brushed the paper, but he chose not to think about its direful words. Instead, he let his fingers close around Xion's seashell as, unbidden, a tear slipped down his face. He wiped it away in surprise, wondering where it had come from

"**Bye!"** Shadow called as the trio headed away from the camp.

"Take care!" Jane called after them as she waved. They waved back before trudging through the jungle to the Gummi ship.

As the ship lifted up and headed into the depths of space, Angel's voice asked, "What world next?"

"Let's go to one where I can use _this_!" Glancing back, Roxas saw she was holding up the bottle of Merlin's magic.

Angel groaned. "Why?"

"Well, what's the point of getting it if we don't use it?"

Angel didn't seem very willing to argue the point, purposefully turning his head away and glaring out the window. Laughing, Roxas called, "Ok, Shadow, we'll do it your way this time." It didn't take long for his gaze to light upon a familiar, form changing world. "Get ready." He steered the ship in that direction. As they drew closer, Shadow uncorked the bottle, letting the magic inside begin to spill out and flow around them. The ship neared the ground, landing heavily and spilling out its three passengers.

As the dust settled, Roxas stood up, shaking himself. "Hey, Roxas?" Shadow called. "Where _are_ we?"

"The Pride Lands," he responded. He glanced at his reflection in a pool of water, seeing, not to his surprise, that he looked like a golden lion cub with his familiar spiky hair. His wrist band remained, and his Nobody thorn emblem was now a necklace that hung around his neck.

"This is _cool_!" he heard Shadow exclaim behind him. Turning, he saw she'd taken the form of a hyena pup, the upraised fur along her neck still resembling his usually braided hair. She was grinning in a way that very much matched her animal, though that grin soon turned to a frown. "Hey, where's Angel?"

"He came out with us," Roxas replied.

"Angel!" Shadow called. "Where are you?" Frowning when she didn't get a response, she ran forward. "Ang - ow!" With that cry, she tripped, and rolled over in the dirt.

"You Ok?" Roxas asked as he came up.

"I just tripped over something."

"Yeah, me," came the dry response.

Both turned their head in the direction of the voice. Before them, a dark gray meerkat with metal - like fur was standing up and dusting himself off. "Angel?" Shadow asked, voice brimming with amusement.

"Yeah," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Roxas and Shadow looked at each other before bursting into laughter. "Hey! Stop laughing!"

"You're so small," Shadow teased, poking him with a paw.

"Watch it," the former Time Racer warned. "You have claws."

"I do?" Shadow immediately sat down and stared at her front paws curiously. Long steel claws like those of her claw gauntlets were strapped to her forepaws with strips of black leather.

"I guess the magic adapted your weapons," Roxas commented.

"Cool!" Shadow jumped up, racing a few paces forward before pausing to glance back at her companions. "Well? Come _on_!" With that she continued to race forward.

"Can't she ever wait?" Angel asked in exasperation.

"That's like asking the sun not to shine," Roxas commented. Angel snorted, following after her more slowly with Roxas following.

As the three headed forward through the world, Roxas noticed something immediately. "It's a lot greener than last time." Glancing up to the sky, he added, "And brighter."

"Well, who do we have here?" a voice said.

Shadow skidded to a halt in her excited rush forward, looking up into the faces of three older hyenas. "I don't know, Shenzi," another hyena commented, peering down curiously at Shadow.

"You're a little lost, kid," Shenzi commented. "Hyenas aren't welcome in the Pride Lands."

"I'm not -" she cut off, seeming to abruptly realize what she was about to say, and amended with, "Why not? You're here."

"'King' Simba says so," the male hyena replied. Roxas and Angel exchanged glances, then raced forward towards their friend.

"Maybe she should come with us, Banzai," Shenzi said.

"Maybe." Banzai and Shenzi turned to their final companion, who had his tongue draped out of his mouth. "Ed?"

"Hang on!" Shadow exclaimed. "What if I don't want to go?"

"Then you don't have to," Angel replied as he and Roxas reached her.

Roxas looked the trio of hyenas in the eyes. "She's with us."

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed all looked at each other before breaking into laughter. "You're telling me a lion and a meerkat are hanging out with a hyena?" Shenzi asked in amused surprise.

"What's wrong with that?" Shadow asked, tilting her head.

"Lions just seem to think they're oh so much better than us," Shenzi replied, prowling around Roxas. His eyes challenged her to attack, but, for the moment, she seemed content to circle.

"And meerkat are better for dinner," Banzai replied, snapping his jaws close to where Angel stood.

Angel summoned miniaturized versions of his daggers in response, slashing one across the hyena's nose. "Don't even think about it."

As if Angel's actions were the catalyst, Shenzi lunged forward towards Roxas. The Nobody summoned his Keyblade, and, gripping the hilt in his mouth, managed to swing it towards his enemy. Shenzi flew back with a yelp of surprise. He edged closer towards his companions, partially putting his body between them and the hyenas. Though he was unable to speak clearly with the Keyblade in his mouth, the message was clear enough; _Stay away from my friends._

The ears of all three hyenas facing them suddenly pricked. "Well, looks like we should be going," commented Banzai.

"If you ever get tired of _them_," Shenzi added as they left, jerking her head towards Roxas and Angel, "feel free to come and see us." With that, they dashed off.

**The** Phoenix paced anxiously through the world he was on. It wasn't one he was familiar with, but, then again, that seemed to be the case a lot of times now. Hands folded behind his back, he looked forward into the setting sun. "No sign," he commented aloud. He gave an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. "This is harder than I thought."

What did you expect?

He heard the voice that had guided him back to the Realm of Light, and was hardly surprised. "I thought you were done with me after I got back here."

So did I.

The Phoenix snorted, only half-amused. "Then why are you talking to me now?"

Xion persuaded me. Seems she thinks Roxas isn't the only one who needs guiding.

The Phoenix froze in his tracks. "What are you talking about?" he asked slowly. "You've been guiding others, too?"

I guess you didn't know that, did you?

"How would I?" he asked in exasperation. "I'm not a mind reader."

Good point.

He exhaled slowly, letting the subject drop. "So why do you feel the need to speak to me again now?" he pressed.

Because you don't seem very focused on what you were brought here to do.

"What are you talking about?" the Phoenix hissed. "I've been looking the entire time! I've even been able to help some people along the way."

I know you've been helping people, which is good. But you're not looking as hard as you should be.

To that, he had no response. Which gave the voice time to continue:

Remember the reason you're here. I know, the mission isn't a good one, and the end result for you isn't exactly great. But this is your fate.

He snorted. "Only if I choose it to be." Before the voice could protest, he responded, "I did that already, didn't I, when I came back from the Realm of Darkness?" He stalked forward once more. "Let me do my job."

But he couldn't help thinking about the inevitable outcome. And that produced a tiny flicker of doubt.

_That's the end of chapter forty - five. Reviews are always welcome._


	46. Seperation

**Here's chapter forty - six. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, kingdomdisney, caitlinkeitorin, Confizzledworld, Clarilune, SkyWarrior2, Sora Tayuya, and CatchingForRain for reviewing last chapter!**

_**Chapter Forty - Six: Separation**_

_The trio walked slowly through the Pride Lands in the direction of Pride Rock. Roxas let his gaze slide upwards towards the sky. I wonder what's happened since the last time I was here?_

As they neared Pride Rock, two shapes came bounding down from it. "Who're they?" Shadow asked.

"Simba and Nala," Roxas replied. "The king and queen of the Pride Lands."

"They seem in a hurry," Angel commented dryly.

Roxas noticed this, too. "What's happened?" he wondered aloud.

"We can find out!" Shadow dashed off towards the two lions without hesitation. "Hey! Simba and Nala!"

"Wait!" Roxas called in alarm, remembering the hyenas words. He and Angel dashed off after her, but there was no hope of catching her before she reached the king and queen of the Pride Lands.

Simba skidded to a halt with Nala beside him, forcing Shadow to slide to an unceremonious stand still. For all her enthusiasm, she seemed a bit daunted as the two lions loomed threateningly over her. Roxas was just close enough to hear Simba's words, "Hyenas don't belong in the Pride Lands."

"Um, sorry?" she said, for once seeming to be unsure of what to do. "I just…came here with some friends, and -"

"Friends?" Simba interrupted, surprise and anger flickering in his voice.

"Not other hyenas -" Shadow responded quickly, though she was interrupted once again by Simba.

"Who, then?"

"Us," Roxas replied as he reached them. After a few moments, Angel appeared beside him, panting. He was surprised that Angel hadn't been right there with him, then realized that, in the form of a meerkat, it would be harder for him to keep up with the Nobody.

"And who are you?" Simba asked, glancing them over curiously, if not suspiciously.

"Friends of Sora," Roxas replied instantly, hoping that information would help matters. It wasn't entirely a lie. "I'm Roxas, and these are my friends Angel," he nodded to the metal-furred meerkat, "and Shadow," and nodded towards the hyena pup still sitting before the lions.

"You're friends with a hyena?" Simba asked in clear surprise, though, thankfully, the suspicion wasn't so evident in his voice.

Nala nudged him. "They're young," she informed him.

Taking the opportunity, Roxas asked, "Why are you two in such a hurry?"

Simba and Nala exchanged a glance, as if wondering whether or not to trust him with the information. Then Nala answered, "It's our daughter, Kiara." Roxas felt a twinge of surprise at the mention of a daughter, but didn't interrupt. "She keeps disappearing."

"Normally I have Timon and Pumba watching her," Simba added, "but they keep losing track of her."

"So we're going out after her," Nala finished. Her voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed her worry.

Roxas couldn't help feeling a twinge of sympathy, and before he knew it, the words were out of his mouth; "Maybe we could help."

Gratitude and suspicion warred in Simba's eyes. Finally, he nodded, and with a terse "Fine" dashed off.

Nala paused before following him. "Don't worry too much about him. He hasn't ever trusted hyenas, or those who work with them."

As the lioness dashed off, the three stood in silence. Then Angel turned on Shadow. "What the hell were you thinking?" Anger vibrated through his voice, and he shook his head fiercely before she could answer. "No, I can answer that; you weren't. Why couldn't you just stop and _wait_ for a second?"

"I was curious," Shadow replied, unrepentant.

"_Curious_?" Angel spat the word out venomously. "Your curiosity could have gotten you killed!"

"Actually, not in this case," Roxas intervened hesitantly. He didn't want to take a side in this, but he felt he had to correct Angel there.

Angel barely hesitated. "She was just lucky she ran into someone who wouldn't." He whipped around to fix his brown-eyed glare on Shadow once more. "What happens next time?"

Shadow seemed like she was starting to get annoyed, which, for her, was unusual. "How is it wrong to be curious?"

"It's not. But you need to _think_!"

Shadow narrowed her eyes. "I do think."

"Oh? So you thought about the consequences of what might happen before you dashed off to meet them?" Angel's voice was scathingly sarcastic.

Shadow opened her mouth and, finding no reply, promptly closed it again. Then she opened it again and growled, "You're not the boss of me."

Roxas intervened quickly, stepping between the two glaring companions. "Stop fighting," he hissed, glancing from one to the other.

They barely acknowledged his presence. "I didn't exactly _ask_ to be stuck with you," Angel snapped.

Roxas could tell as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. But it was too late to take them back, and Shadow had her ears flattened to her head, eyes wide with hurt. Then she closed her eyes tightly. "Fine! Then you don't have to be _stuck_ with me anymore." Her eyes flashed open. "I'll find Kiara by myself!" With that, she whipped around and raced off.

Angel took a hesitant step forward, then narrowed his eyes, turning around. "Fine. Who needs friends, anyway?" With that, he stalked off in a different direction.

Roxas, left alone, could only look back in forth from one direction to the other, stunned by the terrible turn the argument had taken. _Why does it seem like we just manage to get over one obstacle when another appears before us?_ He sat down, his eyes closing tight in frustration. _And why does it seem like I'm so often helpless to do anything about it?_

Taking a deep breath, he forced his eyes open, trying to push the thoughts away. "It doesn't matter," he murmured. "Get up; get moving; stop feeling sorry for yourself." He forced himself back to his feet. "I have to try and help find Kiara, but I have to make things right with my friends, too."

Even as he set out, though, he knew that they'd have to be the ones to do that in the end.

**As **Angel walked aimlessly through the Pride Lands, he felt his anger slowly abating. Left behind was regret. _Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh._ True, he hadn't really wanted Shadow to come in the first place, but that didn't mean he regretted it now, despite her tendency to get on his nerves. After all, she and Roxas were his friends.

That statement entered a whole new realm. After Sira's death and Zylen's betrayal, he'd never wanted to have a connection to anyone again. He'd felt the ice in his veins, slowly steeling him against the world. Then he'd met the two of them, and his careful precautions had all come crashing down around him. He'd only been so made at Shadow because…he didn't want to lose someone else he cared about. He'd experience that before, and he wasn't sure he could face that again. It was why he'd never wanted to have friends again.

He kicked a stone absently. That's what he was doing now, though, wasn't it? He was walking away from his friends. With a tired sigh, he spun around and headed back the way he'd come. _She'll probably never let me live this down, _he thought with a sigh.

He sensed it before he saw it; the encroaching darkness of an enemy waiting to strike. He immediately summoned his daggers, spinning around to block the blow of a shadow Heartless that was lunging for him. He couldn't help but feel unnerved by how much bigger the small Heartless seemed in this form. He jumped forward, jabbing one of his daggers into the black flesh. He repeated this several times, alternating between daggers until the Heartless completely vanished from existence.

As soon as that one fell, several more appeared before him. Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward, twirling around so that his sparrow-winged daggers could cut through several Heartless at once. The damage did less than it normally would have, but it did damage, nonetheless. He jumped away from the strike of one of the Heartless, warding off its claws with his blades and feeling grateful that there were no bigger Heartless attacking him. He let out a cry of pain that turned into a shout of fury as one of the Heartless clawed at his back. He whipped around, slashing one of his daggers at it.

Then the ground started to crumble underneath him. He staggered, caught off balance, before the ground that had once seemed so solid gave way completely, plunging him into the darkness below.

**Shadow **paced slowly through the green grass. Her ears were laid back against her head, and the claws now attached to her paws dragged across the ground. "He didn't have to say those things," she growled. If she was truthful, a part of her admitted that it would be could for her to wait a moment before she jumped into things. Angel was right when he said she could end up getting herself killed because of it.

Maybe that was one of the reasons she was so upset about it.

"But he _still_ didn't have to say he was stuck with me." Although, she had seen regret…maybe…no. She'd decided to go and find Kiara on her own, and she was going to.

The grass under her feet was slowly becoming more and more sparse. Looking up ahead, she saw a darker area than the one she'd just been in. "This is the area outside of the Pride Lands?" she wondered as she slowly padded forward. Examining the skull of some animal long dead, she commented, "Creepy." Still, it didn't stop her from continuing forward.

She jumped and gave a cry of surprise when something caved in beside her. She looked warily at the crumbled bones in the dust. "Just bones." Despite her curiosity, this place was thoroughly creeping her out. She'd heard (and told) her fair share of ghost stories, and this reminded her of every one, only on a larger scale.

Her mind winged back to the Legend of the Burned City. The first time she'd heard that story, she'd only been five, and she'd been desperate to go and see the place herself. She'd begged Yuruo to go with her, but he refused. He'd told her all the things he'd heard about the place. It'd scared her so much she'd had nightmares for weeks. After that, she never did get the courage to go there. Many times she wished she had, but the memories of the stories her older brother had told her still filled her mind.

That's when she'd decided not to think, just to act. That way, she could never be scared out of something again. Considering her personality, that hadn't been a hard change. She'd just deal with the consequences as they came. But how could she explain that to Angel?

The further she went into the dark area, however, the more vivid the memories of Yuruo's ghost stories about the Burned City came flooding into her mind. "There are no such things as ghosts," she murmured to herself. She snorted. "Why are ghosts so scary, anyways?" Her usual cheeky grin was edging its way back onto her face. "If they tried to touch you, they'd just go right through you!" She lifted her head, crying to the sky with the smile still on her face, "Ghosts? Hah! They're just weird."

She was completely unprepared for the voice that came from behind her. "So, you did come."

**Far** away, a girl with blue hair looked up into the dark sky. "I wish I knew what was happening." She sighed, shaking her head sadly. "I can only hope they got my message." Absently, she scribbled some words into the ground before her with a stick, in hand writing that was hauntingly familiar.

The same writing that had scrawled out the words of a prophecy and warning; one that had made its way to a blond haired Nobody.

_That's the end of chapter forty - six. Please review? _


	47. Mirror, Mirror

_Here's chapter forty - seven. Thank you caitlinkeitorin, Flightfoot, kingdomdisney, Confizzledworld, SkyWarrior2, Taeniaea, and Jaicer for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Forty - Seven: Mirror, Mirror **

Roxas's gaze slid up towards the sky, where the sun was slowly making its way across the expanse. _Where could they have gotten to?_ he wondered. He'd been looking for both his friends and Kiara for several hours with no trace of them. He'd traveled first in the direction Shadow had taken, then back the way Angel had went. After a while of finding no trace of them, he'd ranged out randomly through the Pride Lands. Now, though, with still no hint as to where they were, he was beginning to grow worried.

"They were just starting to get along," he sighed aloud, his head lowering and his tail dragging behind him. He paused, closing his eyes in the hopes that maybe Xion would speak some words of advice to him. Almost immediately he heard her voice, though she didn't respond quite the way he'd expected:

You can't go looking for my help all the time, Roxas!

His eyes blinked open in surprise at the frustrated sound of her voice. _S-sorry! _he stammered silently. _I just…could use some help right now._ He could sense her relent slightly, but when she spoke again, her voice was laced with something he didn't want to hear: fear.

You need to face challenges on your own sometimes, Roxas. Maybe…one day…I won't be there to help you.

The thought sent a jolt of alarm rippling through his body. _What? Xion, what's wrong?_ He sensed he presence fade, and instinctively he ran forward, calling aloud, "Xion!"

She's not dying.

She sound of the second voice startled him, and he slid to a halt. The voice's owner continued at his lack of response:

And she's also not being entirely truthful. Even if your friends aren't there physically…even if they can't speak to you at all…even if they've past out of existence…a part of them will always live on inside you. Heart or no heart.

The words both surprised and comforted him. "Thank you," he murmured gratefully. Though the second voice didn't respond with words, he got a sense of the one behind it; of a past greater than he'd thought of its mysterious owner. Again, he got an impression of the voice's body, and again, he knew that, if he got more than just those brief glimpses, he'd recognize the face. He shook his head, trying not to dwell on it, instead asking, _Then why is she so upset?_

…I don't know.

Before the presence of the second voice faded, he got a sense of confusion coming from its owner. _So, I'm not the only one she's not telling everything, _he thought as the remaining presence of the second voice's owner faded. He sighed, padding forward to continue his search.

It was barely a second later that pool of darkness began to well up around him. Seeing the Heartless, he gave a snort of frustration, summoned his Keyblade, and jumped forward. It just wasn't his day.

"**Do **you think he's alright?"

Angel heard the unfamiliar voice as he returned to awareness. His eyes remained closed for a few moments as he listened to the conversation bubbling around him. "I wonder what happened?"

"Humph," the voice of a grouchy sounding male growled. "He has something to do with those Heartless things we keep hearing about. Didn't you say you saw them fall in with him?"

"Yes," another voice agreed slowly.

"And after all that work we made to dig those tunnels, too!"

"Did you see his fur? _I've_ never seen anything like it!"

He quickly brought memories of what had happened to the forefront of his mind before he was ready to blink his eyes open. He stared up into the faces of many meerkats staring down at him. One blinked his eyes as he looked at him. "He's awake!"

"What happened?" another asked as he slowly sat up.

He considered the question. Decided the truth was probably the best answer. "Fought some Heartless, and the ground collapsed."

The meerkats were looking at him with clear surprise. "You _fought_ them?"

"Yes," he said slowly, taking in their expressions and deciding not to say to much more before knowing more about them.

"Why, that's unheard of!" the voice of the older male he'd heard before cried.

He turned his eyes in the direction of the voice to see an elderly meerkat glaring at him. "Really?" he asked in a slow voice.

"You've never been told that before?" The old meerkat sounded astounded. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Where did you come from, anyways?"

Now the truth sounded like a terrible idea. So he went with a half truth. "No where, really. I'm a wanderer. That's why I fight the Heartless."

The wanderer bit seemed to make them seem uneasy. He caught whispers of something that sounded like; "That's not good." and "Why'd he get kicked out?"

Time for a flat out lie. "My…community," he began, choosing his words carefully based on his observations, "was attacked by the Heartless. I was the only one who survived."

He got flashes of sympathy from some, but others gave slightly more mixed reactions. There were some disconcerted rumblings, which ended up being silenced by one saying, "You should stay with us for a while."

He blinked in surprise. "I can't," he said quickly. "I have a few friends I have to get back to."

The old male gave him a quizzical look. "I thought you said you were a wanderer."

"Wanderers don't have to wander alone."

The meerkat snorted. "Fine, I'll give you that. But I want to see you compensate for the tunnels you collapsed."

He couldn't think of a reasonable argument against that, so he simply replied, "Of course." Although, as he was hustled along by the other meerkats, he wasn't entirely sure what he was getting into.

**Shadow **whipped around, eyes widening when she saw three familiar hyenas strutting towards her. "Your friends kick you out already?" Banzai asked, his voice containing a hint of a sneer.

"They didn't kick me out!" she protested immediately. "I came here myself."

"Really?" Shenzi asked. "What do you think about this, Ed?"

The third hyena, tongue lolling out of his mouth, gave a short bout of odd laughter. Banzai turned to look at her with a grin. "Well, I guess it's settled." He jerked his head as he and the other two hyenas headed forward. "Come on; we'd better take you to Zira."

"Who's Zira?" Shadow asked, bounding after them.

"Oh, she used to be one of Scar's followers, like us, except a lion," Shenzi replied. "So Simba exiled her, along with her son, Kovu."

"Yeah, and she ended up living with use," Banzai added.

Shadow cocked her head to one side. "Who's Scar?"

This caused all three hyenas to stop short. "Wait, wait, wait," Shenzi said, turning to face her. "You're telling me you don't know who Scar is?"

"Yeah." She looked curiously between the three hyenas. "Who's Scar?"

"Scar," a new voice replied, "was the rightful king of the Pride Lands."

Shadow looked forward to see a lioness prowling towards them. "Are you Zira?" she asked.

"Of course," the lioness replied, lifting her head proudly, though her eyes were narrowed in disdain. Shadow decided immediately that she didn't like her.

"So, this Scar guy's supposed to be king? I thought Simba was king," Shadow said, seeing if she could coax the story out of them.

"Ha!" Zira said scornfully. "He's only king because he killed Scar."

"_Killed_ Scar? To be king?" Shadow thought back to her meeting with the lion and his mate. He hadn't really liked her, but… "He was worried about his daughter," she said aloud, thinking that wasn't something bad guys typically did.

"Oh, yes, he'd be real worried about his accomplices," Zira growled, "so long as they're loyal."

Shadow couldn't help remembering what Angel had told her about his experience with the Time Racers. And that brought about another matter. "My friends trust him."

"Friends?" Zira asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"Yeah. You know, people who hang out with you-"

"I know what the word means!" Zira snapped, cutting her off. "But I don't see these friends of yours with you."

"Didn't you say you left them to come here?" Banzai asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"Well, kind of," Shadow responded. "They didn't come with me, anyways."

Zira snorted, looking down at her with unkind eyes. At this point, she knew she could never admit to this fearsome lioness that her friends were in the form of a lion and a meerkat. And both were still welcome in the Pride Lands.

**As** day wore on to night, Roxas forced himself to head to Pride Rock first, and tell Simba and Nala he'd found no sign of their daughter. "Where are you friends?" Nala asked in surprise when she saw him come in alone.

He didn't really want to explain the whole incident to them. "Probably still out searching," he lied unconvincingly. He turned and left before the king and queen of the Pride Lands got the chance to ask anymore questions.

He trudged wearily back to the Gummi ship, harboring the faint hope that his friends had made their way back themselves. "Shadow? Angel?" he called into the interior when he reached it, his eyes glittering hopefully. There was no movement within, and no response. Silently, he padded inside, curling up against one wall of the Gummi ship, and closing his eyes tightly. _I'll just have to search again tomorrow._ Then he simply waited for dreams to take him.

_**Even**__ now, Roxas knew he was dreaming. It was a rare moment for anyone, but especially for him, who so often before had trouble telling dream from reality. He was in his human-like form, standing in a hall of mirrors. Around him, all he could see were reflections of varying shapes and sizes, though all of them were so blurred he couldn't tell what was what._

"_Anyone here?" he called softly, nervous of attracting unwanted attention. With no response, he began to walk slowly forward, the reflections in the mirrors keeping pace with him. _

_The mirrors seemed to form an odd, maze-like structure, leading him on an odd, winding path. The reflections constantly shifted as he passed the mirrors. He assumed they all must have been some sort of distorted form of him, though they were so blurred he couldn't really tell. Finally, after much traveling, he reached an area where the mirrors wrapped around in a wide circle, leaving an open space in the middle._

_Well, nearly open. Directly in the middle of the circle was a large mirror, with no cracks or distortions, seeming to shine clear while all the others were blurred. Roxas slowly walked forward, standing before it. In it, he saw the face and body of Sora, instead of himself. He glanced down, and, assured that it was simply a trick of the dream mirror, looked back up._

_He started with surprise when he saw the mirror was suddenly blank. Words, sharply edged, began to blaze onto the surface of the glass before him. _You still have some waking up left to do._ As the final word became etched onto the surface, he felt as if he was plunged into the mirror like it was made of water and not glass. He gasped as the scenery changed to a more barren landscape, and he found himself facing a masked boy, who, when drawing on Sora's memories, wore something akin to Riku's dark suit. _

_He was suddenly brought out of the mirror and back to the first area of his dream. He gasped as if he really had been in water, and looked warily at the mirror._

_His own face stared back, except with one difference; his eyes were amber._

That's when he woke up, shaking and panting, and feeling immensely relieved to be out of his dream world.

**Lea **thought the whole situation was ironic. He was in the world where his Nobody had once lived, with the other members of Organization XIII. The World That Never Was. Or, at least, that's what Zylen had told him. Of course, he wasn't entirely sure what he could trust of what Zylen had said and what he couldn't.

Truth be told, though, at this point, he didn't care. He looked up to the sky, where a broken heart-shaped moon was slowly being fed with hearts slain from the Keyblade wielding Nobody. "Once Kingdom Hearts is complete," he murmured, "I'll find a way to harness its power. Then I'll use it to prove to you, Zylen, that I'm not as useless as you think." A small smirk crossed his face. "Just keep feeding it more hearts, Roxas. Then I can have my revenge."

_And there's the end of chapter forty - seven. Reviews are appreciated!_


	48. Friendship

_Here's chapter forty - eight. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, SkyWarrior2, kingdomdisney, Confizzledworld, Clarilune, PhantomGirl12, Chariste, caitlinkeitorin, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Forty - Eight: Friendship**

"No."

"Come on, please?"

"No way."

"Seriously, just a little bit."

"I'm not digging a tunnel."

Similar conversations had taken place the entire time Angel had been led through the tunnels by the meerkats the previous day and the rest of the duration since. It had only taken him a few seconds to decide that he didn't want to work on carving pathways out of dirt while listening to singing meerkats.

The old meerkat who'd spoken to him the day before glared at him. "You said you'd help us out."

He suppressed a sigh. "There has to be some other way to help."

"He could be sentry," another meerkat suggested.

The older meerkat looked skeptical. "Him? Sentry? I'm not so sure…"

"I'll do it," he said quickly. His ears were already aching.

The meerkat still didn't seem to sure, but led him through the tunnels anyways. He followed as the tunnel wound upwards until it broke free into open air and grassland. "You," the older meerkat said, "stand over there." He pointed to a large rock jutting out of the ground. "Yell an alert if you see anything suspicious."

"Fine," Angel replied, heading towards it. The other meerkat snorted and headed back underground.

He took his place on the rock and was able to focus on what he was doing for a long period of time. The problem with this, however, was the longer the day dragged on, the harder it was to stay focused on the task. Angel felt his mind constantly drifting back to one specific topic, only for him to quickly jerk his attention back to the task at hand. He glanced above his head to the sun to judge its time. _About noon, _he decided. Snorting, he turned his attention back to the bleak horizon.

Again, he found his mind drawn back to the memory that it'd been trying to focus on for a while now; his most recent fight with Shadow. His brown eyes narrowed in frustration. "What's the point of this?" he asked aloud. "The past should remain where it is." He shook his head, looking down. "Why does it matter so much, anyways? We'll make up eventually, then do the same thing all over again."

He knew why it mattered, though. None of their fights before had been like that. Maybe he had snapped at her too quickly; it was her nature to do those things, after all. But she could end up getting herself _killed_ doing things like that. He didn't want to go through losing another friend.

He glanced up towards the sun in the sky. Oddly, he felt his mind drifting further back into the past; back to the orphanage, where he, Zylen, and Sira had all gotten along; his growing rivalry with his best friend; Vexen and the experiment; Sira's death…

"_Get out_," he hissed, drawing himself out of the depths of his memories. He didn't want to think about Sira right now. Although, it couldn't be too bad, to remember things like that…

But why was he connecting Shadow with Sira?

As he thought, a sound came to him. He groaned, slamming his palm against his forehead. "I can still hear them singing."

"**So, **Zira," Banzai said, "when are we going to get Simba?"

"Get Simba?" Shadow asked in surprise. "You mean kill him?"

"Of course," Zira hissed back at her.

"But-"

Shadow's protest was cut short by Zira spinning around and glaring at her. "A hyena, arguing _for_ the 'king'?" Zira's eyes were glittering with suspicion.

"Not for him, but…kill him?" she looked up at Zira.

"He deserves it!" Zira hissed. She whipped around and stalked away. Hesitantly, Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed followed, with Shadow just behind them.

"What's that?" Shadow asked, spying something up ahead. Without waiting for them to answer, she dashed forward past the trio of hyenas and Zira. She skidded to a halt when she reached what looked like the skeleton of some large animal. "Whoa." She craned her neck to see up towards the top.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zira hissed as she and the hyenas caught up to her.

She glanced back. "Checking things out."

"Why?" Zira asked, suspicion in her voice again.

"I'm curious." She jumped onto a bone that was closer to the ground to emphasize her point.

Zira curled her lip at her, and stalked over to the bones that Shadow was quickly jumping up. "Kovu!" the lioness called into the hollow of the bones.

Shadow jumped onto the top of the skull, a grin spreading across her animalistic features as she surveyed things from her new vantage point. Suddenly, a spasm of darkness edged across the ground close to the base of the skeleton. She jumped down without hesitation as the Heartless emerged from its shadowy portal, the claws on her paws quickly slicing through it. More appeared from their own pools of darkness, and she gave the usual cheeky grin.

"That cub's missing again…" she heard Zira mutter angrily behind her as she stalked out from the confines of the skeleton. Shadow lashed out a clawed paw at a Heartless that lunged forward, causing to it fade to darkness. Suddenly, she was sent flying by a large paw. "What do you think you're doing?" Zira hissed.

"Destroying the Heartless. Duh."

"Why would you do something like that?" Shenzi asked, seemingly genuinely surprised.

"Because…they're evil?" She classified that as another 'duh' moment.

"You idiot," Zira hissed. "The Heartless are under my command." The lioness glanced back at the dark beings. "I plan to use them to attack the Pride Lands."

Shadow's eyes widened in surprise. "Angel and Roxas," she whispered, feeling fear prick at her.

"What? You're still worried about them?" Banzai asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The three hyenas exchanged skeptical glances. "They're a lion and a meerkat," Banzai said slowly to her. "And you chose to leave the Pride Lands. You sure they'll want you back?"

She shrugged. "Well, whatever happens, we're a team." Without waiting for them to respond, she whipped around and raced back towards the Pride Lands.

**Roxas **padded wearily through the Pride Lands. "No Shadow or Angel," he sighed, looking up towards the sun. "No Kiara, either." He looked back to the path before him, looking for anything that might give him a clue as to where any of the three were.

He stopped suddenly when he thought he heard something on the wind. He narrowed his eyes, listening harder, and heard it faintly; a cry for help. Without hesitating he whipped around and headed in the direction the sound was coming from.

Eventually, he saw what was causing the problem. "Heartless," he hissed, summoning his Keyblade and gripping it between his jaws. He slashed it through a shadow Heartless, which dissipating quickly upon impact with his weapon. He whipped around, letting his blade cut through a few more Heartless as he did so. "Look out!" a voice cried out in warning. He leapt into the air, spinning as he did so, to catch another Heartless and send it flying.

As he landed, he turned to face where the voice had come from. He blinked in surprise when he saw two lion cubs. The male cub stepped forward with a small grin. "You're pretty good." Then he crouched down. "But watch this." He leapt up over Roxas and landed on another Heartless, quickly destroying it.

Roxas snorted with amusement, then his eyes widened in alarm as he saw what was coming from behind the other cub. "Behind you!" he growled around the hilt of his Keyblade. He dashed forward just as the male cub was turning around to see the crocodile-like Heartless that was about to attack him. Roxas turned his head so that the Keyblade slammed into the side of the Heartless's head. The Heartless growled furiously, whipping around with mouth open towards Roxas.

Before the Nobody got the chance to strike, however, the female cub jumped on top of the Heartless's mouth, causing it to suddenly slam shut. Roxas immediately turned his Keyblade so it could impale the Heartless through the head.

He whipped around as he heard a familiar sound come from behind him. The Keyblade slammed into another lunging crocodile Heartless, the strength of the blow sending it staggering backwards. He lunged forward and jammed his Keyblade into the mouth of the Heartless as it opened it much like the last one had, propping it open. Both cubs jumped onto its mouth this time, forcing the Keyblade through the skull and leaving the Heartless to fade back to the darkness it had once come from.

_Looks like just a few more, _he thought, then added darkly, _at least, for now._ He spun in a circle, pointing the blade of his Keyblade out as best he could to cut through a few shadow Heartless. Then he leapt into the air above one of the Heartless, turning as he did so, and sliced through the dark creature as he landed. Another jumped at him, and he caught it with the blade of his weapon, flinging it backwards and jumping on top of it to impale it with his blade.

When it appeared that all the Heartless were gone, he released his Keyblade and turned to the two cubs. Both were looking at him with wide, excited eyes. "That was so cool!" the female cub exclaimed. "The way you fought those things…!"

"What was with the weapon?" the other cub asked curiously.

Roxas shook his head. "What are you two doing out here?" he asked, choosing not to answer the question the male cub had posed.

The two cubs exchanged uncertain glances. "Well…uh…" the female cub trailed off, swiping the tip of one of her paws across the ground before her.

That's when it dawned on him. "Are you Kiara?"

The lion cub looked up in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"You're father's looking for you," he explained. "He's worried."

The princess made a noise that sounded like a humph. "Well, I'm not going back!"

The Nobody before her blinked in surprise. "Why not?"

"He won't let me do _anything_ by myself!" she exclaimed. "He always has someone watching me."

_I heard you're pretty good at getting rid of them._ He didn't say the thought aloud, however, instead replying, "He's probably only doing it because he cares."

Kiara sighed. "I know…" She looked down for a few moments, then lifted her head once more. "But he won't let me and Kovu play together!"

He decided it was pretty safe to assume Kovu was the name of the other cub. "Why not?" he queried, looking at them both.

"My mother supported Scar," Kovu replied, forcing Roxas to recall the memories of the dark lion he'd seen through Sora's eyes. "After Scar died, he banished me and my mother to the outlands with the hyenas."

"Kovu was too young to know what was going on back then," Kiara pleaded, as if trying to make sure he didn't report her friend to her father.

He couldn't help agreeing; the sins of the parent were not the sins of the child. But he knew what Simba had gone through during the battle with Scar, and figured it probably wouldn't be as simple as explaining that to the king of the Pride Lands. "There has to be some way to explain to him…"

He trailed off as he heard a familiar voice. "Hey! Roxas!"

He turned his gaze to the horizon and saw a hyena pup running towards him. "Shadow?" he exclaimed in surprise.

She skidded to a halt before him. "Roxas, the Pride Lands are going to be attacked by Heartless!"

_That's the end of chapter forty - eight. Reviews are always welcome._


	49. Enough

_This is chapter forty - nine. Thank you Flightfoot, kingdomdisney, Confizzledworld, SkyWarrior2, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter._

**Chapter Forty - Nine: Enough **

"There are more coming than there already are?" Roxas couldn't help the shocked exclamation of surprise from coming from his lips.

"Ye- wait, there were already Heartless here?"

"Shadow," Roxas sighed.

She shook her head forcefully. "No, I'm serious. This freaky lioness - Zira - said she was going to use them to attack the Pride Lands."

"Zira?" Kovu asked, his head lifting higher in surprise.

Shadow nodded vigorously. "Yeah. She's mad because she and her son Kovu were kicked out of the Pride Lands, so she's going to use them to attack and get back at Simba!"

Roxas turned to look at the lion cub. "Sound like something your mom would do?"

"Probably," Kovu responded, sadly but not seeming surprised.

"Wait…your Kovu?" Shadow frowned. "Well, she did say he was missing…"

"Do you know when?" Roxas asked quickly.

"Uh…probably soon. They kind of know that I know and that I was going to tell you." Shadow, as usual, didn't seem very apologetic.

"Then we need to get going and warn Simba." Roxas turned around to race off, with Shadow at his heels. He was surprised to find, however, that Kiara and Kovu were following him. "You don't have to come," he told them, hardly pausing.

"We want to," Kiara responded.

"It'll be dangerous," he warned.

"So?" came the princess's response. "This is something we have to do. Maybe we can fix things." Though Roxas still wasn't entirely sure about bringing the two cubs into danger, he could see in their eyes that they weren't going to go back. So the four of them raced through the Pride Lands together.

**Angel **glanced to the sky for what seemed like the thousandth time. _I wonder where they are now?_ his mind asked, thinking of Roxas and Shadow. He exhaled slowly, turning his gaze back to the horizon.

He narrowed his eyes as he caught sign of movement. He jumped to his feet, summoning his daggers. "Come out!" he snapped. "I know you're there!"

He saw the shadows shift, and from the ground came the dark creatures known as Heartless. "Heartless!" he called over his shoulder towards the meerkat holes. Then, he launched himself forward.

"**Heartless!"** The four heard the cry, and all skidded to a halt.

Roxas and Shadow exchanged glances. "Didn't that sound like…?"

"Angel," Shadow finished, eyes glittering. She raced off in the direction of the cry without another word.

Roxas began to head after her, but stopped when Kovu said, "Wait, what about Simba?" He looked back at them, then turned his gaze in the direction Shadow had raced. _I can't leave my friends. But…I can't just leave Simba to face the Heartless on his own, either!_

The two seemed to sense his problem, because they exchanged glances before Kiara stepped up and said, "We'll take the message to my father. You go and help your friends."

"You sure?" he asked, starting with surprise.

Kiara nodded. "Positive." With that, she raced off through the Pride Lands in a different direction, Kovu following.

Roxas watched after them a few moments longer. "Be careful." Then, he turned and followed after his friend.

**Angel **felt himself growing tired at an alarming rate. _It's this form!_ he thought with frustration, dragging his daggers through the dark flesh of another Heartless. Looking forward, he added silently, _And there are just too many of them!_ He spun his daggers, keeping on his toes and trying to keep focused as another Heartless began to lunge for him…

…only to dissipate into darkness.

He blinked his eyes in surprise as he saw a hyena pup with long, sharp claws standing with a familiar cheeky grin before him. "Now I've got your back!" Shadow informed him.

He knew he should say thank you, but those weren't the words that came to his mouth. "What? You're not mad anymore?"

She shrugged. "Well, I still don't really like what you said, but I guess I understand it." Her grin turned suddenly sheepish. "Besides, you're my friend."

A small smirk etched its way onto Angel's face. "Yeah." They both turned to face the hordes of incoming Heartless. "It's time to face them together."

**When **Roxas reached the scene, the Heartless were already surrounding something. _Shadow and Angel._ He summoned his Keyblade and jumped into the fray, spinning as he landed to allow his weapon to cut through several Heartless at once. He dashed forward, the Kingdom Key forging a path through the Heartless towards his friends. When he reached the small circle in which they stood, he spun around so that he faced the way he'd come. "Nice of you to show up," Angel commented dryly.

Roxas snorted. "Someone had to save you."

"Hey, I think he's developing a sense of humor," Shadow commented with a grin.

"Focus, please," the Nobody said in response.

"Then again…" She never finished her sentence, forced to pay more attention to the encroaching horde of Heartless. Angel and Roxas did likewise.

Roxas turned his head so that the Kingdom Key caught a Heartless lunging forward and sent it flying backwards. He lunged forward briefly to force part of the horde back before jumping back to rejoin his friends. Angel did something similar, then Shadow, periodically keeping the Heartless back. However, while there were only three of them, there were many Heartless, and he knew that they wouldn't be able to keep this up forever.

Your not planning on giving up, are you?

He heard the second voice's challenge, and responded fiercely, _Of course not!_ To emphasize his point, he lunged forward, and, instead and immediately jumping backwards, spun in a circle to cut through several of the Heartless before rejoining the others.

"Good idea!" Shadow exclaimed, and jumped forward, using the metallic claws attached to her paws to cut through a few Heartless before jumping backwards.

"My turn," Angel growled, ducking low and skimming the ground before coming up in a spiral to allow the sparrow-winged blades to cut through the dark flesh before backing up to where his friends stood.

Suddenly, the Heartless froze. Roxas narrowed his eyes. "What's happening?" he wondered aloud.

It didn't take long before he got his answer. The Heartless parted to make way for a lioness that he could only assume to be Zira. Her dark gaze traveled over them until her eyes found Shadow. "Well," she growled, "it appears you didn't get to warn Simba, after all."

"Not true!" Shadow cried, but was silenced by Angel's glare before she could continue.

Zira seemed not to have noticed. "So, these must be your friends," she hissed as she looked to the other two face her. Roxas tensed, preparing to spring. This the lioness saw, and a harsh laugh escaped her throat. "So, you know what's coming, don't you?" She narrowed her eyes into a glare. "Heartless! Attack!"

And suddenly, all at once, the Heartless were jumping forward, with more intensity than before. Roxas let out a cry of surprise as the claws of the dark creatures sliced into him, barely giving him and his friends time to retaliate. He tried to swing his blade, but it was difficult with the monsters converging on him.

Roxas!

The alarmed cry rang through his head. _Xion._ He summoned on the powers lying inside him, and entered into his Limit break. His Keyblade became cloaked in light, and he was able to slash at the Heartless, the blaze of light cutting rapidly through the shadows that surrounded him. As more Heartless fell, he drew upon the power of his Final Limit, unleashing powerful beams of light that spanned out in several directions through the Heartless. He was able to repeat this once more before his light powers receded.

However, looking out before him, it seemed as if even the power of his Limit wasn't enough to defeat the Heartless. Panting, he was about to lunged forward for another strike when he heard a roar echoing through the air. Startled, he looked up, to see Simba jumping above several Heartless to land on others closer to him and his friends. As the king of the Pride Lands turned to face the outcast, Zira's eyes widened in surprise. "You…how'd you find this?"

"I had a head's up," Simba responded. "Besides, it's hard to miss that many Heartless attacking one area."

Zira's surprised gaze turned into a smirk of triumph. "Very well. This shall make my task that much simpler."

"Wait!"

The new voice caused the surprise to once again appear on the lioness's face, and she and the others turned to see Kovu and Kiara racing towards them. The two lion cubs raced to stand in front of Simba before turning to face her. "Kovu!" she exclaimed. Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "Move."

Her son shook his head. "This has to stop."

"What?" Zira hissed in surprise. "Don't you remember what Simba did? Why are you defending him?"

"You never told him the whole story!" Kiara protested.

The lioness turned her dark glare to the cub. "So, your mind's been corrupted by the king's daughter?"

"Not corrupted," Kovu responded quietly.

Roxas stepped forward to stand before them. "They're right," he informed her, dropping his Keyblade so he could speak more clearly. "What good will this battle serve?"

"I will have my revenge!" Zira hissed. "But, of course, you're a lion still allowed in the Pride Lands. How could I expect you to understand?"

"How about a hyena?" Shadow asked, joining them.

"Maybe you should open your eyes," Angel added, coming forward to face them as well.

Simba stared at the angry lioness for a long moment before giving a slow nod. "This has gone on long enough. Maybe it's time I let some of the others back into the Pride Lands."

This seemed to catch Zira off guard. "You'd…rethink?"

"Yes."

Zira looked at him hopefully a few moments before shaking her head, her features transforming into a look of fury. "No, you're lying! You only say that now to get me to call off the Heartless. Well, I won't fall for it, not when my revenge is so close." She crouched low, growling, "Any who stand in my way will fall!" Kovu's eyes widened in surprise, and Roxas tensed, getting ready for the oncoming attack. "Heartless, attack!"

However, what happened next, none expected. The Heartless attacked, but not the group Zira ordered them to. Instead, they turned on the lioness, jumping on top of her and clawing at her fur. Her eyes widened for a split second, her mouth gaping open in a cry of surprise and fear, before the was completely covered by Heartless.

After a few moments, the Heartless disappeared, returning to the darkness they had once come from, leaving behind nothing except the stunned expressions of the ones they'd once fought.

_That's the end of chapter forty - nine. Review, please?_


	50. Supers

_So, here's chapter fifty. I've updated early because later today I'm leaving for a cross country meet, and spending the first half of tomorrow with _that _and the second half at a marching band competition. _o_o' _So, yeah, no time for it tomorrow._

_Anywho, thanks go out to DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, Confizzledworld, Flightfoot, kingdomdisney, Sora Tayuya, and SkyWarrior2 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Fifty: Supers**

"Do you guys really have to go?"

The plaintive question was posed by Kiara, to which Roxas nodded. "In the morning. There are some people who still need our help."

"We might come back and visit sometime, though," Shadow added.

Simba nodded to the trio. "Good luck." He looked to the two cubs. "Let's go home." He turned and padded a few steps, with Kiara behind him. Kovu, however, hesitated, at which time Simba looked back at him with a small smile. "All of us." Kovu's eyes lit up, and he dashed after Simba and Kiara. Roxas allowed a small smile of his own. It was may only be a start, but things could get better in the Pride Lands.

This train of thought, however, led him back to the journey they still faced. _There wasn't any sign of Time Racers here, either._ He closed his eyes briefly. _How long have we spent on this? How much longer before we can do what we finally set out to do?_

"Roxas?"

The Nobody blinked his eyes open at the sound of Shadow's voice. "Yeah?"

"You spaced out again."

He smiled slightly. "I guess I did." He padded forward. "Come on; we should head back." As his two companions followed after him, however, he couldn't help the voice that asked, _And when you finally finish your journey, what happens next?_

**The **next morning found the trio hurtling through the space between the worlds. "So…which one next?" Angel asked.

"How about that one!" Shadow cried, pointing ecstatically out her window. "Or…that one! No, wait, _that_ one!"

"Shadow…" came Angel's sigh.

"What?" There was a pause before the brown-haired girl gave a relenting sigh. "Maybe you should chose the world."

"What?" Angel exclaimed in surprise.

"It doesn't really matter where we go next," Roxas called back to them. "The Time Racers could be anywhere."

"Fine." The former Time Racer paused a moment before saying, "Let's just go to the one up ahead."

As Roxas steered the Gummi ship in the direction of the world, he narrowed his eyes. It wasn't a world he was familiar with, and he couldn't help but remembering Nottingham. _Well, it's too late to go back now, _he thought as the Gummi ship entered the world's atmosphere. He brought the Gummi ship up to hover just above the ground before letting it land with a thud on the ground.

As usual, Shadow was the first to skid out the door, with her male companions following a bit more slowly. As they emerged, they found Shadow looking around with curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Do you guys recognize this world?" Both shook their heads. "Cool!"

"Interesting how you say 'cool' to possible problems," Angel retorted dryly.

"How can exploring a new world be a problem?"

Roxas's head shot up as the sound of a scream ripped through the air. "Like that," the metal-haired boy beside him responded. He dashed off in the direction of the scream, his friends following behind him.

The trio traipsed through the woods a while before coming to an area with a cave that was filled by familiar beings. "Nobodies," Roxas hissed, summoning his Keyblade. Narrowing his eyes, he saw that the Nobodies had surrounded what looked like two kids.

"This is hardly a fair fight," Angel commented, summoning his daggers and launching himself towards the first Nobody.

"Yeah! We'll totally cream them!" Shadow followed suit to cut through several with her claw gauntlets.

"Not what I meant, Shadow."

Roxas lunged forward himself, Keyblade slashing at the body of a Dusk. The Nobody took a few hits before fading from existence. He turned his gaze to the two kids. "Get to safety."

"No way! I want to help fight!" the boy cried.

"Dash, listen to him," the girl beside him hissed. "Let's go."

"What? You think I'm scared of these guys?" Roxas hardly had time to blink as Dash raced towards a Nobody at incredible speed, the husk dissipating before his eyes.

"Maybe their not so outmatched after all," Angel commented.

"Now, _this _is unfair," Shadow said, though Roxas noticed she was grinning broadly.

A flicker of movement caught the golden haired Nobody's attention. Acting on instinct, he threw his Keyblade in the direction. The weapon cut through a Nobody that was coming up behind the two kids before Roxas summoned it back to his hand in a burst of light. "Only if they pay attention," he replied.

"That was cool!" Dash exclaimed. He turned to the girl beside him. "Violet, show them your powers."

The girl looked away. "I-I don't know. Mom always told us not to use our powers."

Roxas noticed another Nobody coming up behind the two kids. He began to head towards it, but Angel got to it first, cutting through it quickly with his daggers. Roxas gave a nod to him, then turned and whipped his Keyblade so that the edge collided with the body of another Nobody that was flying towards him. He caught a glimpse of Shadow streaking towards another Nobody to quickly slash through it with her claw gauntlets. Dash had obviously decided to help out, being true to his name and speeding across to land rapid hits on the advancing Nobodies.

Roxas ducked under the strike of one of the Nobodies. He spun around low to the ground with his Keyblade out, forcing back the empty vessels that were coming steadily nearer. He used this momentum to return to a standing position and jump up, cutting through one Nobody as he rose, and bringing his weapon heavily down on another as he fell. He transitioned straight from this into a slash, using the momentum from this to spin him around so he could deliver a more powerful blow at the same Nobody.

He paused in the dance of battle when the Nobodies were no longer coming towards him. He glanced around him and, once assuring himself all were Ok, turned to face Violet, with Dash racing up to stand beside her. "What happened? Why did those Nobodies attack you?"

"Nobodies?" Violet asked. "You mean those white things?"

"They're Syndrome's minions!" Dash exclaimed.

"Who's Syndrome?" Shadow asked as she and Angel joined Roxas before the two.

"He's an evil guy who wants to get rd of supers."

"Dash!"

"What? They're supers, too!"

Roxas felt the familiar tinge of confusion, and he suppressed a sigh. "What are supers?"

The two looked at him in surprise. "Ok…maybe they're not supers," Dash conceded.

"Maybe we should head somewhere else," Angel interrupted. "In case the Nobodies show up again."

Roxas nodded. "Right." He walked a few paces forward, calling as he did. "Come on; you guys need to get someplace safer, in any case. And maybe while your at it, you could clear up a few things."

**Sora **felt himself growing anxious. "When are we going to do this?"

Riku glanced over at him. "Whenever we figure out how to actually escape our cells."

The Keyblade Master sighed, leaning back against the wall of his cell. They'd been able to figure out plenty of things about their escape plan, like what they'd do about the Time Racers and how they planned on getting off the world. However, the one thing they weren't sure about was how to get out of the cells they were trapped in. The cells barriers prevented them from using their Keyblades to unlock them, or they would've done that long ago. Unfortunately, the only other way they could think of to escape their prison was to get keys from a Time Racer, and they all knew how unlikely that was to happen.

"I wonder how Roxas is doing?" Sora asked, thoughts of escape brining him back to the reckless release of his Nobody.

Riku and Kiara both shrugged in response. Then, Riku added slowly, "You know, Sora, when he comes back, he probably won't want to simply fade back into you again."

The Keyblader gave a slow nod. "I know."

"You don't sound too upset," Kairi commented, looking across at him through the bars of her cell.

"Well, it's kind of a weird thought, knowing that I'm technically a Heartless," Sora admitted, "but if I were him, I don't think I'd want to do it, either. After all, it's not like he needs to for me to wake up or anything this time."

Kairi nodded, her eyes shadowed, but a small, understanding smile was on her lips. "I get it." She pressed her hand against the invisible barrier that coated the bars of the cell. Sora lifted his hand to press it against the barrier where hers was. Riku just looked away.

The sound of an opening door alerted the trio to a Time Racer entering. Down into the dungeon came the form of Zylen himself, his eyes glinting oddly in the dim lighting. "Well," the leader of the Time Racers commented, "you and your Nobody almost seem to be more trouble than you're worth."

Sora grinned. Roxas must be giving them one heck of a time. "What? You aren't having fun?"

The dark man's eyes narrowed. "No." Sora really didn't have much response to that sort of answer, nor did his companions, so they remained silent. "As it turns out, your Nobody doesn't even know anything that could help us further our plans."

"He is _Sora's_ Nobody," came Riku's dry response.

Zylen ignored Riku's attempt at humor. "If I had to guess, that probably means you don't know anything, either."

"Know anything…about what?"

Zylen smirked slightly. "I want to know how to utilize the power of people's hearts to create power."

Sora's eyes widened slightly. _Kingdom Hearts._ The words echoed through his head fiercely. It was the only source he could think of that could give that kind of power. Still, he wasn't going to admit that to the Time Racer. "And what happens if I don't?"

Zylen's smirk grew, and his eyes glittered with a dark light. "I'm sure we could use you for other purposes." With that, he turned around and stalked off, leaving the three Keybladers to shudder at the thought of what he might do to them.

_I hope you hurry, Roxas, _Sora thought, looking up. _I'm not sure we have much longer to escape._

Don't give up yet, Sora.

The boy started at the words that reverberated through his head. There was no voice or face to match them, and yet they were there all the same…and somehow, the presence behind him seemed familiar…_Who are you?_

No one important.

_So, why are you talking to me?_

…You've got your friends, Sora. Never lose them, and you'll be able to get out. Trust me on this one.

Sora felt the presence of the voice fade from his mind. He smiled and gave a slight laugh. "Yeah."

His two friends looked at him curiously. "'Yeah' what?" Riku queried.

He looked back and forth between them. "We can't give up yet. After all, they haven't taken everything." Both nodded their assent, their eyes showing that they were thinking the same thing he was. "Let's keep trying to find a way out of this place." _We just need to hold out a little bit longer._

_There's the end of chapter fifty. Feel free to tell me what you think._


	51. Syndrome's Island

_Here's chapter fifty - one. Thanks to Flightfoot, SkyWarrior2, KanjiKitsune, kingdomdisney, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, kelseyluv2read16, NumberXIII, CatchingForRain, Confizzledworld, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Fifty - One: Syndrome's Island**

"Thanks for saving us," Violet said as they headed away.

"No problem," Shadow said in response before anyone else could.

"I'm Dash!" The boy was the first to formally introduce himself. "This is my sister, Violet."

Roxas nodded in response. "I'm Roxas."

"And I'm Shadow!" the brown haired girl proclaimed. "The guy with weird hair is Angel."

"Thanks for that wonderful introduction," came the sarcastic response.

"Your welcome!"

As the five trekked through the jungle, Roxas turned his gaze to the two newcomers in their odd, matching jumpsuits. He quirked an eyebrow at them, silently asking the question: _What's going on here?_

The girl, Violet, caught his question gaze and began hesitantly. "It all started when my dad got a strange letter that said to come and help stop some sort of monster that had appeared on a remote island. When he didn't come back after a while, my mom decided to go look for him."

She paused, and Roxas took the opportunity to ask a question. "Why was your dad called for this?"

"He's a super," Violet replied hesitantly.

"And I'll repeat my question; what's a super?" Shadow interrupted, coming into step with them and looking curiously at them.

"A super is someone with really cool abilities that normal people don't have," Dash replied.

"Oh, _that's_ why you could run so fast!" Shadow exclaimed.

"Thank you, Shadow, for stating the obvious," Angel sighed. She stuck her tongue out at him, and a small smirk made its way onto his face.

Roxas didn't really bother to ask what went for 'normal.' "Do you have any powers?" he asked Violet curiously.

She gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah."

She didn't say anything else about them, so Roxas didn't press it. Instead, he said, "You said your _mom_ went to look for him. So why are you here?"

"We snuck on board her plane," Dash replied.

"It was Dash's idea," Violet interrupted quickly. "Then the plane crashed, and use an mom hid in a cave, and those creatures attacked, but we were saved by another stranger…"

"Stranger?" Angel inquired. Roxas knew what he must be thinking; _It might be a Time Racer._

"Yeah. Somebody calling himself the Phoenix," Violet responded.

"Hey, that's the second time we've heard of him!" Shadow exclaimed.

"The second time?" Violet asked.

"We…just heard of him somewhere else." Roxas gave a nod to her to encourage her to keep going.

She nodded back and continued. "Well, after the Phoenix saved us from those white things - you called them Nobodies, right? - we asked him where they'd come from. He told us they were wanderers, but would listen to anybody strong enough, and that, right now, they were listening to a guy named Syndrome. Then he just…left." She shook her head. "Anyway, Mom thought that whoever Syndrome was might be keeping Dad prisoner, so she went to look for him. That was a few days ago."

Roxas's eyes clouded in sympathy. He couldn't help saying the words that came next; "Maybe we could help."

The siblings looked at him in surprise. "Really?" Dash exclaimed.

"Duh!" Shadow said, grinning. "It's kind of what we do."

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Dash said suddenly, "what was that key-looking thing you had?"

In response, Roxas stopped and summoned the Kingdom Key to his hand in a burst of light. "It's called the Keyblade."

"That thing's awesome!" Dash said excitedly. "Does it do anything other than beat up monsters?"

"Well, it gives some the ability to use magic," Roxas replied. "Not really me, but…Keyblades can only be wielded by certain people."

"Cool," Dash said, staring longingly at the weapon.

"And…how did you know what the Nobodies were?" Violet asked.

"I…I've been fighting them a long time," Roxas replied, dismissing the Keyblade. He wasn't really sure he wanted to tell them he was one.

Thankfully, Shadow had enough sense not to add it in. Instead, she said, "So, when are we going to go get this Syndrome guy?"

Angel glanced towards the sky. "Helping's fine, but we can't just go running in there."

"Why not?" the brown haired girl pouted.

"Some of us like to keep the skin _on_ our bodies."

"Stop arguing," Roxas sighed. "We can make plans when we find somewhere to camp." No one argued with that idea, so he took the lead and they continued to make their way across Syndrome's Island.

**Darkness **had fallen over the land, but the group still weren't entirely sure on what they were going to do. Finally, Roxas had suggested going to find Syndrome's lair the next day, and then make their plans from there. Everyone agreed to the plan, though Angel felt somewhat reluctant to do so. It was one thing to go into a small-scale battle without any planning, but quite another to jump into something this big with no idea what they were going to do. Of course, he guessed they didn't really have much choice…

"Can't sleep?" a voice asked.

Angel looked up in surprise as Shadow walked towards him. "Do you want something?"

She held up her hands. "Hey, don't get mad. You just looked all gloomy and I wanted to know what was wrong."

"I just don't like going into this unprepared," he responded.

"Oh, come on, I do it all the time!" Shadow responded with a cheeky grin.

"But that's _you_," he hissed in response.

Her grin faded. "Angel…" For once, she seemed at a total loss for words. Several moments of silence passed by before she finally spoke up again. "I guess I don't really know what I can tell you. Just…follow your heart?"

He flinched at the words. _Follow your heart._ "I've heard that one before. Look where it got me."

"What? You mean the whole Time Racers thing?" Shadow shrugged, a small smile returning to her lips. "Maybe you weren't listening hard enough."

For some reason, that managed to get a small laugh out of him, and he looked up towards the sky. "I wish I'd never been given those powers in the first place."

"Uh, truthfully, me too," Shadow informed him. "Then we wouldn't be in this mess." His eyes closed slightly. "But," and here Angel looked down to meet her gaze as she spoke, "you can't really do anything about it now. You're like one of the supers from this world. You have really awesome powers, and you could do them to do a lot of good, as well as a lot of bad. But _you_ have to make that choice." He felt his eyes widening. The girl before him gave him her trade-mark grin and a shrug before turning around and heading away.

He lowered his head to look into his lap. He wasn't sure which surprised him more; the words themselves or the fact that they came from Shadow. A small laugh escaped his lips. "For all your flaws, Shadow, sometimes you actually _can _give some good advice." He knew she would've have heard him, but that didn't matter. Right now, his mind was focused on one particular memory of his; one of brighter days:

"_Sira, you seen Zylen anywhere?"_

_A young girl turned her gaze towards him. "No, not recently."_

_A much younger Angel sighed. "Ah, man. I was hoping to show him these." He held out his hands to show her what was in them._

_She frowned when she looked at them. "Rocks?"_

"_Well, not _just _rocks," he argued quickly. "Look at them!"_

_Sira examined them closer. "They are kind of weird looking. How'd you find them?"_

_He shrugged. "I just went out to see if I could find any of you guys to play with, and they were there."_

_A small grin spread across his friend's face. "Maybe your heart lead you to them."_

"_My heart?" The young boy was somewhat skeptical of the idea._

_Sira nodded. "Yeah. You're heart can do a lot of things." She looked suddenly shy, and she slowly folded his fingers over the rocks. "Always…follow your heart."_

He returned from his memories to the present, a small tear threatening to escape. Mist was slowly beginning to spiral around him. Maybe…he could go back and look at some of those brighter memories more clearly…

Then the memory of Sira's death hit him like a rock, and the mist that had begin forming disappeared. _No…I can't._ He shook his head forcefully, his eyes clouding with pain. _I can't use those powers again._

**Hilran **wasn't really sure what she should be doing at this point and time. Any hunts for Roxas and any possible ones for Lea were put aside because of the knowledge the Keyblade - wielding Nobody now possessed. She really wanted to go out to some world and pass the time destroying some Heartless, but Zylen had made it clear that that would not be a good idea. And, truthfully, the leader of the Time Racers scared her. If he could do something so bad to Angel, his best friend, what would he be willing to do to one of them?

She paused when she saw an unusual shadow hugging the wall. She summoned her pole-arm and lanced out her weapon at it. "Who are you?" she hissed, harassing the unknown shadow with the tip of one of the blades.

The shadow held up its hands in a defensive gesture. "Easy, Hilran. It's me."

"Kisue?" The Time Racer snorted with frustration, letting her weapon return to the place it had once come from.

"You sound disappointed," the other Time Racer commented, stepping out of the shadows.

"I was hoping it was Lea," she hissed, "or some Heartless that was dumb enough to come here."

"It's getting to you too, then, isn't it?"

"What's getting to me?"

Kisue gave her an intense stare. "Zylen's plan."

Inwardly, she cringed. Outwardly, she snapped, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Kisue went on as if he hadn't heard her protest. "It's crazy. Everything was going so well until the newest Keyblade Master stabbed himself with that Keyblade Zylen has hidden away. Then everything started to unravel."

"Obviously," Hilran growled with a roll of her eyes.

Kisue turned his eyes out to the darkness that forever shrouded the castle lost to time. "It feels like we're trapped here. Forever imprisoned, with any hope of escape shadowed by Zylen's darkness." He shivered, and she couldn't really blame him for that. "Maybe it's time we thought of leaving this place behind."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Are you insane? Zylen wouldn't rest until we were dead!"

He turned his eyes back to her. "You hate being stuck here as much as I do. I can see it in your eyes."

She jerked her chin up. "Maybe I do. But I can tell it's for different reasons than you."

A small smirk edged its way onto his lips. "Fear and a desire for revenge against the warrior who outsmarted you." She gritted her teeth and glared at him. His smirk faded, and he slowly lifted his hood over his head. "Just a thought. But who knows? Maybe Zylen will come through before anything has to be done." As he walked away, he called over his shoulder, "Only time will tell."

Hilran snorted. She lifted her head to look at the crumbling stone ceiling above her. "Always, it comes back to that."

_That's the end of chapter fifty - one. Review, please?_


	52. Connections

_Here's chapter fifty - two. Thank you kingdomdisney, SkyWarrior2, caitlinkeitorin, PhantomGirl12, NumberXIII, Confizzledworld, The Original Evil GRRL, and Flightfoot for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Fifty - Two: Connections**

The armored figure stood alone.

Not that he was really surprised, of course. He didn't get much company where he was. Still, he couldn't help feeling surprised that he even still existed. He remembered back to that day, to the brief battle he'd fought against those mysterious figures cloaked in white. How he'd been asked by a forgotten memory like himself, one he'd once saved, to go and help the friend she'd called Roxas. How he'd used all the force of his will to get there…

And seeing the person who looked like Ven. He had been surprised enough by seeing what appeared to be a specter of his past that he hadn't paid attention to the hammer being swung towards him…until it had slammed into his rusting armor…

The next thing he'd known, he'd found himself back in the desolate Keyblade Graveyard. He lifted his head to the sky. He understood now that the person he'd thought was Ven was Roxas. But that begged the question of why?

Aqua…Ven…where are you?

He found himself falling into the kneeling position he'd held for countless years, the joints of the armor more easily responding to it than to remaining in the upright position he'd been holding. The blade of his Keyblade stuck into the ground, his hands still grasped around its hilt.

I promised I'd make things right. But I'm beginning to wonder…if it's really my job to do.

His head, which had still been uplifted to the sky above, fell down against his chest. And, for some reason, one not even he could understand, these words were the ones he spoke next:

You're only a monster if you choose to be one.

**Roxas **woke up to find the world still shrouded in darkness and rivulets of sweat running down his face. Instinctively, he reached a hand into his pocket, fingering Xion's seashell.

As he began to calm down, he wondered what had bothered him so much. He knew…he'd had a dream, but he couldn't remember much about it. He knew it was about the mysterious armored figure who he'd thought had been destroyed by Kisue's hammer. Other than that, he only remembered snippets of words the figure had said: _…beginning to wonder…if it's my job to do…_

_You are only a monster if you chose to be one._

He shook his head, sitting upright. He looked up to the starry sky above. _I don't understand. Why would I dream about the empty armor?_

For some reason, thinking of the armor made him think of the slip of paper that he still held in his pocket. He reached in and grasped it, pulling it out and unfolding it to see once more the words it held. It was beginning to get worn from all the handling it had undergone, but the prophetic words were still as easily read as the day the wind had blown it to him:

_The gate can only be closed by entering and becoming the sacrifice, the noble on saved by the hands of time._

He still had no clue what it meant, if it even meant anything. He glanced over to his sleeping friends. He thought of asking them if they'd figured out anything new about the mysterious words, then decided against it. Besides, he didn't even know if they remembered it. He considered asking Xion, too, but their last few conversations had been odd, to say the least. As for the second voice, well…he wasn't sure he wanted to ask that one.

As he slipped the paper back into his pocket, the sky above began to grow brighter with the first signs of dawn. _It'll be time to head out soon, _he thought, pushing himself into a standing position, and trying to push thoughts of the dream and the odd words out of his mind.

Shadow was the next one to wake. She blinked with surprise when she saw he was up. "Aw, man, I thought I was going to be first!" He smiled slightly, knowing she wasn't really phased at all and would be ready to go sooner rather than later.

Dash was next, but Angel and Violet weren't too long after. By that time, the sun had already painted the sky with creamy colors. "Ready?" he asked.

"Of course!" Shadow exclaimed as the others nodded their assent.

"Then let's go." With that, Roxas led the others into the woods.

It wasn't long before the blond Nobody let Dash take the lead, and, with some cajoling, convinced Violet to lead when her speedy brother disappeared from sight. Shadow, being Shadow, couldn't help running ahead a few times before remembering she had an even smaller idea of where they could be going than Dash and Violet did. Angel remained at the back, silent except for the times when he yelled to Shadow (who never listened) not to run off without thinking. As for Roxas, well, his best guess as to where Syndrome's lair would be was the gigantic volcano at the center of the island, but he was content to let the two younger kids lead.

It gave him time to think.

Think about Xion's mysterious behavior and the second voice that had intruded upon his thoughts. Think about the new sort of odd dreams he'd been having lately. Think about the Destiny Islands trio, the Time Racers, and Lea. Think about his own future…

He gave a troubled sigh. Violet glanced back at him. "Is something wrong?"

"Just thinking," he replied, blue eyes staring into the jungle before him.

"About anything important?"

"Yeah," he replied. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "Have you - or anyone else you know, for that matter - seen anyone else that was strange? Besides us and the Phoenix?"

Violet looked surprised for a moment. "No. Why do you ask?"

"We're just looking for some people." He shook his head. "Never mind."

Dash suddenly raced back to join them. "Guys! That volcano's just up ahead!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Shadow asked, dashing forward.

"Wait! Shadow!" Angel called in exasperation, chasing after her. The remaining three were left with not choice but to do the same.

The former Time Racer had caught up to his companion by the time they reached the base of some sort of support beam. Now the two of them, along with Dash, were examining it curiously. As Roxas and Violet joined them, all five looked up its length. "What's it holding up?" Shadow wondered.

"It looks like some sort of rail," Violet said.

An odd sound hit Roxas's ears. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Dash asked, lowering his head to look at him.

The sound grew louder. "That!"

Above on the rail, a circular cabin attached to a mechanism flew by on the track, causing them all to jump involuntarily. "What was that?" Shadow exclaimed in surprise.

"Aside from some form of transportation, you mean?" Angel asked dryly.

"It might be our way in," Roxas responded.

The other four gave him curious looks. "What?" Violet exclaimed in surprise.

"Obviously Syndrome's hideout must be in the volcano, or at least close to it, or else this track wouldn't be here," he began. "I bet that if we can somehow get inside one of those things, it would take us right inside."

"Great idea!" Shadow exclaimed.

"Not bad," Angel conceded, "but we don't know where the place they leave from is, or if there even is one outside the volcano."

"No," Roxas agreed, "but, even if there is no rest stop outside the volcano, there has to be ways to get into one of those things. After we figure out how to get inside, we can figure out where to go from there." The others gave their consent, and he led them along the path of the rail, away from the direction of the volcano.

_**Sir?**_

A man with orange hair turned to look at the Dusk that had approached him. "Yes?"

_We've detected some unusual signals on the radar. What do you want us to do about it?_

"Really? You interrupt my work for some weird signals?" He turned away from the Nobody. "Do whatever you want. I'm busy."

_Of course, sir._

As the Dusk spiraled away, Syndrome turned his full attention to the two captured supers before him. "Now, then, what are you two hiding?"

**No **matter how hard she tried, Xion couldn't get the image of the dream out of her head.

She could still clearly remember the contrast of light and dark, Zylen's grizzly death, and Roxas's dark gaze as he looked down upon the man he'd killed. She shivered, hunching down on the stained glass floor of the Station of Awakening and hugging her legs tightly to her chest. Remembering her dream was enough to make her want to cry, and she buried her face in her knees in an attempt not to.

She tried to console herself by telling herself that Roxas would never do something like that. She knew him; he was one of her best friends, after all. She thought there was too much light inside him to do that.

But wasn't he a Nobody?

That thought always brought her up short. She couldn't keep telling herself it was alright, knowing what her friend was. Nobodies couldn't feel; he wouldn't be able to feel any remorse if he killed the Time Racer, no matter how much she wanted to believe he wouldn't do the deed.

She felt the presence before she heard the voice. "Alright. Talk."

She pretended she didn't understand. "About what?"

"You know." There was a sigh from behind her. "You drive me crazy until I agree to talk to him and help guide him, then you stop."

She didn't turn to look at her companion. "What's your point?"

"You're kidding, right?" There was a pause before the voice continued. "Do you just want to make sure he hears from me?"

She exhaled slowly, not quite as willing to lie about that. "No."

"Then why won't you talk to him?"

_Because I'm afraid._ Afraid that if she spoke to him, he'd go down the dark path she'd seen in her vision. Afraid that trying to save him would doom him. Afraid that she'd find out he really was as heartless as all the rest…

"Xion!"

The voice of her companion brought her back to the present. "Sorry," she murmured, still not looking back.

"You still haven't answered my question."

She gave a small shrug. "I can't."

"Why not?"

She couldn't help but remember Roxas saying those exact same words once to her before. She dodged the question by replying, "You seem to be doing a pretty good job of guiding him. You've even decided to talk to Sora."

"Nice try, but we aren't changing the subject that easily."

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "Can't you just let it drop."

"No." There was another long silence, before she thought she could sense the arms of her companion being thrown in the air in exasperation. "He's your best friend, for goodness sake!"

"I know, but…" she trailed off, biting her lip.

There was another of those long silent periods before the one behind her spoke again. "You worried about his Nobody status?" She unintentionally inhaled too deeply. "Well, I wouldn't too much if I were you. Maybe he's not as heartless as you seem to want to take him for."

She finally whipped around to look at her companion, to see a form slowly heading away. "What are you talking about?"

The figure paused, glancing back at her. "Have faith in him, Xion. Sometimes…that's all you really need to do to make sure they're safe." With that, the figure finally left, leaving Xion alone in the Station of Awakening.

**Far **away, on a dark beach, a hooded man looked out across the waves. He'd been called by some Ansem, by others DiZ, but right now, none of those names mattered to him. He found that his mind was focused on events far beyond the dark margin in which he sat. "The stars are finally starting to move," he murmured, looking to the sky. "How much longer…before all the dots are connected once more?"

_That's it for chapter fifty - two. Review, please?_


	53. Not Even to Live

_Chapter fifty - three, sort of a milestone for Guardian Twin. Know why? Because on Monday, it'll be one year old! (Yay, cake and ice cream for everyone!) Kind of exciting (for me, anyways), and kind of weird to think I've been writing this for a year now…_

_Birthday news aside, thank you kingdomdisney, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, SkyWarrior2, turbotalker, NumberXIII, Confizzledworld, CatchingForRain, and Sora Tayuya for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Fifty - Three: Not Even to Live**

It didn't take long for the five to find exactly what they were looking for. Of course, it helped to have an abnormally fast super-kid with them.

Dash had raced ahead of the others when they'd decided to go in search of some sort of outpost, and came back not a few moments later. "Guys, there's one just ahead!"

"Wow, that's awesome!" Shadow exclaimed.

"Wait for it," Angel sighed.

"There are also a ton of Nobodies guarding it."

"Ah, man," Shadow sighed.

"Hate it when I'm right," Angel growled, shaking his head.

"Doesn't matter," Roxas replied. "It's our best way of getting into Syndrome's lair." He kept walking forward, looking up for some sign of their way in. The others followed behind him.

It wasn't long before, too, saw it. Up above, through a gap in the trees, he could see something attached to the rails. And, sure enough, he could see the shapes of Nobodies spiraling around it. "How do we get up there?" Violet wondered.

"The trees, I guess," Roxas responded, unable to think of any other way.

"So let's go!" Shadow exclaimed, racing forward to the nearest tree and immediately starting to hoist herself upwards on some thick lengths of ivy.

Angel sighed and shook his head. "Can't she ever…?" He stopped and shook his head again. "Wait for us, Shadow." He walked more calmly after her, climbing up the same strands of ivy. Violet followed after them, and Dash found his own, faster route up the trees.

Roxas stepped forward to grab the ivy himself, but a voice stopped him. "Hello, Nobody." His eyes widened, and he whipped around, summoning his Keyblade just in time to prevent the Chakram from impaling him.

**Shadow **jumped onto the station they'd found and didn't even slow down as she tackled the first Nobody.

Unfortunately, that meant she forgot to put on her claw gauntlets.

"Man!" she exclaimed as she tried to slash at the pale form only to realize her claw gauntlets were still in their holders. She immediately reached for them and pulled them onto her hands, striking at the lunging Nobody with their blades immediately thereafter.

"Nice one, Shadow," Angel informed her dryly as he stabbed one of his daggers into a Dusk.

"Meh," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Dash came speeding up to them after slamming into several Nobodies. "This is kind of fun!" he informed them.

"Fun?" Violet asked skeptically.

Shadow jabbed the blades of one of her claw gauntlets into a Dusk that was edging towards her. As she removed it from the fading form of the Nobody, she noticed belatedly that one of their companions was missing. "Hey, where's Roxas?"

Angel shrugged, glancing back towards the edge. "Maybe he's still coming up."

"Geez, it doesn't take that long to cli-" she was cut short as something hit her across the back. She fell, rolling over until she was flat on her back to face the oncoming Assassin Nobody.

"Shadow!" she heard Angel exclaim in alarm.

She jabbed one of her gauntlets upward to stop the oncoming blow from one of its arm-like appendages. "I'm fine," she called, bending her head back against the floor to look back at her metal-haired companion, surprised to see his eyes filled with worry. And that wasn't the only thing she saw. Her own eyes widened in alarm as she saw what was edging up behind him. "Look out!"

He turned around too late to stop the blow from the Dragoon's lance. It hit hard, sending him flying backwards. As he hit the ground, two more Assassin Nobodies were there waiting, lancing their arms upward the grab him and prevent him from moving. Watching him fight against their grip, she knew it wouldn't last long, but the Dragoon was advancing, and she could see that by the time he escaped, it would be too late. "Angel!" she cried, trying to struggle away from the Nobody that was still attacking her. "Angel, use your powers!" The former Time Racer glanced at her, but didn't do as she said, instead continuing to struggle. She gritted her teeth, stabbing the blades of both her gauntlets upward to impale the Nobody. She wriggled away before the Assassin had faded completely, but even so, she knew she wouldn't be in time to stop the Dragoon's strike…

But someone else was. The Nobody's lance bounced off what appeared to be a force field, produced from Violet's hands. This barricade was enough to allow Angel to struggle away from his captors and turn on them, and for Shadow to reach the Dragoon and give it a powerful upward strike with her claw gauntlets. Dash was soon there to help Angel with the other Assassin, and the three made quick work of the Nobodies.

There was a period of calm in which Shadow turned to Violet. "Dude, that's an awesome power! Why didn't you use it before?"

"I…was never very confident about using my powers," Violet murmured.

"Well, you used it to save Angel. Thanks." That, however, brought another thought to her mind. She turned to look at the metal-haired boy she'd spoken of. "Why didn't you escape?"

He seemed to know exactly what she meant. "I told you already."

"But…you won't ever use them? Not even to save your own life?"

He gave her a level stare. "Not even." In the pause that followed, she couldn't help remembering how afraid she'd been that she'd lose him. She knew she got on his nerves (it was fun to do, after all), but for some reason, he still put up with her. For some reason, he still cared. And the thought of losing him…scared her more than anything else. The realization surprised her.

"We should probably figure out where Roxas is," Angel said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

She nodded, giving her cheeky grin to cover up her confusion. "Yeah! I mean, come on, he can't be _that _slow." They walked to the edge and glanced over the edge.

All four were surprised to see him fighting a figure down below.

**Roxas **blocked the flying Chakram as it raced towards him. He swiped his blade as he did, sending the weapon hurtling towards a tree, where it stuck in the wood. After Lea's words and his sudden appearance, the former Heartless had attacked him relentlessly. He felt frustrated by the fact that he was constantly on the defensive, always deflecting blows while not getting a chance to counter-attack.

He barely had time to think before he had to block the blow of the second Chakram. This one he managed to push into the ground, but Lea had already removed the first he'd thrown from the tree and was charging him. He blocked his opponent's strike, but the former Heartless was close enough to reach over and pull his second weapon from the ground, which he then brought up to try and use its barbed hooks to cut into his bloodless flesh. Roxas managed to pull away a bit, but not enough to prevent the weapon's barbs from slashing some of the skin on his arm.

Suddenly he was facing a barrage of rapid strikes from Lea's Chakrams, the twin weapons never leaving the former Heartless's hands. He recognized his own strategy from his internal battle with Sora, and so only blocked a few of the strikes before starting to back up to try and lessen the force of the blows. Lea, however, took this opportunity to move forward, pushing the golden haired Nobody backwards constantly. Roxas gritted his teeth, but new he couldn't remain still. Unfortunately, Lea's strikes didn't allow for him to move to the side, and so he simply kept moving backwards until his back came up against the bark of a tree.

One Chakram pinned his Keyblade in place, the other was put up against his throat. "Roxas!" a chorus of alarmed voices called from above.

Lea didn't even spare them a glance. "Looks like your little friends have spotted you. To bad they can't get here without some Nobodies getting in their way." On cue, there were exclamations of surprise from above. A small smirk appeared on the dark man's face. "The Nobodies listen to the strong."

Roxas glared at him, struggling to move his arm and Keyblade until the metal barbs of the Chakram pressed harder at his throat. "What do you want with me?" he spat, frustration boiling over.

"It's your fault," the former Heartless hissed. "Your fault that the Time Racers abandoned me; that they're hunting me now."

"It's no fault but your own," Roxas growled in response. "Why'd you even work for them in the first place?"

"They made me human again."

Roxas felt his eyes widen in surprise. _That's impossible…unless they combined his Heartless with his Nobody._ He felt - or thought he did - the familiar pang of sadness at the memory that his best friend was gone, but knew that that meant the Time Racers probably hadn't combined Heartless and Nobody.

Which meant Lea was still a Heartless, just in human form.

He glared at the man. "You sure about that?"

He saw Lea's emerald eyes flicker briefly with uncertainty, then they narrowed. "What does it matter?" The pressure on his neck increased briefly, and Roxas closed his eyes, steeling himself for the pain of the blades piercing his skin. However, to his surprise, the pressure lessened. He opened his eyes to look at the dark man. "No, I still need you for a little while longer."

Roxas narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you want to know, do you?" Lea hissed, a cocky smirk finding its way onto his face once more. "Then why don't you come find me in Twilight Town?" His smirk broadened into a grin. "You won't have to worry about bringing anybody along. My Nobodies will take care of them for you."

_No!_ he cried mentally. Inside of him, he breeched the barrier between him and his forms with devastating force. Light flared up around him, forcing Lea to step back and shield his eyes. Roxas's eyes, however, remained open, and as soon as the light faded to reveal the blue of Aura form, he lifted his Keyblade and fired a sphere of light in Lea's direction. The attack hit the dark man head on, sending him flying. He looked up with a grimace that change to a smirk as he escaped through a dark corridor.

Roxas jumped upward, spinning as he did to grab onto the ivy and pull himself towards his friends, dismissing his Keyblade at the same time. As he reached the top, however, it appeared his fears were unnecessary, as they were just dispatching the last of the Nobodies. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. _Lea doesn't have as much control over the Nobodies as he thought._

"Hey, you finally made it!" Shadow said with a cheeky grin.

"That means we can take this car, right?" Dash asked, looking at the oncoming transportation.

Roxas exhaled slowly. "Yeah." _Then why don't you come find me at Twilight Town?_ For the moment, that would just have to wait.

**Syndrome **looked at his monitor with surprise. "Well, well, well," he murmured, looking at the figure that appeared on his screen hi-jacking one of his transportation vehicles. "Looks like I'll have to do some interfering after all."

**The **car they'd found was empty, so they didn't have to worry about struggling to obtain it. They rode in silence, making it inside Syndrome's lair with no further interruptions. As the spherical vehicle came to a stop, the five jumped out and prepared themselves to fight and make a dash for it. However, to all of their surprise, there was no one in sight. "Shouldn't there be guards?" Violet asked.

Roxas nodded slowly. "Something's wrong."

"Hey, what are these?"

Roxas turned to look in the direction of Shadow's voice. "Don't touch them!" Angel exclaimed in exasperation as the brown haired girl reached a tentative hand towards them.

She drew her hand back slightly, but didn't remove her curious stare. "But what are they?"

The other four came to stand beside her by the wall and look at the items curiously. "Hey, don't they look like those tracking devices Edna showed us?" Dash asked. Roxas decided it was better not to ask who Edna was.

"Tracking devices? Hmm…"

Shadow had a dangerous grin on her face that made both Roxas and Angel nervous. They exchanged glances before Roxas said, "Come on; we'd better get moving before we're found." Surprisingly, Shadow didn't join them until a few seconds after they left the area, though she had a broad grin on her face that could only spell trouble.

The five walked in relative silence through the halls, keeping their eyes open for anything that might reveal where Dash and Violet's parents might be. Roxas felt himself growing increasingly on edge as he noticed the obvious lack of Nobodies. _If he controls them, _he wondered, eyes narrowing, _then where are they?_

"Hey!" Dash hissed. "Look through there!"

The other four all turned their gazes to where Dash had indicated. Violet gasped with surprise. "Mom! Dad!" She and Dash raced forward towards their parents.

Shadows suddenly shifted, a large figure separating itself from the depths of the hidden darkness. "Look out!" Roxas cried in alarm, dashing after the two kids. Their faces turned, and they saw the monstrous figure that was looming close to them, and the golden haired Nobody whose body took the blow meant for them.

_That would be the end of chapter fifty - three. Reviews are always welcome!_


	54. Guardian

_This is chapter fifty - four. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, kingdomdisney, SkyWarrior2, NumberXIII, Sora Tayuya, Flightfoot, and Confizzledworld for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Fifty - Four: Guardian**

Roxas felt the force of the blow reverberate through his body. He let out an involuntary cry as he flew backwards, the armor of the X across his chest chipping with the force of the impact. "Well, what do we have here?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Groaning, the Nobody managed to push himself up and see who was speaking.

What he saw was an orange-haired man standing beside a large, unfamiliar Nobody. The man was smirking as he looked across the group of five. "So, they had kids!" he said, looking at Violet and Dash, who were still standing next to their unconscious parents, both looking stunned at the occurrence they'd just seen. Then the man turned his gaze to the remaining three. "And they found some friends."

Dash was the first to recover. "Hey, what've you done to our parents?"

"Oh, nothing permanent," the man replied, a smirk still plastered on his face. He lifted his hand and fired a black gob from the gauntlet upon it at the boy before he had time to react. The substance engulfed Dash's body, preventing movement.

"Dash!" Violet cried in alarm.

The man laughed. "Well, that's what you get when you mess with Syndrome!" With that, he raised his gauntlet - covered hand once more and prepared to fire it at Violet. Roxas, gritting his teeth, lifted his Keyblade a fired a sphere of light from it before he got the chance. Syndrome stumbled, caught off balance.

Unfortunately, he recovered quickly. "Well, aren't you an interesting one," the man growled, turning his gaze to the Nobody. Roxas braced himself for the same black substance to come flying at him.

So he was surprised when it flew towards Violet. The girl let out a cry of surprise as it completely encased her body. "Always fin to catch people off guard," Syndrome said with a smirk.

The smirk disappeared when the blade of a dagger speared his gauntlet. "I agree," Angel hissed in response, removing his weapon and jumping backwards before his opponent could counter attack.

Shadow was right there to strike back, claw gauntlets ready to slash across him. However, the hand of the large Nobody blocked her attack. Syndrome gave a small laugh, the smirk back on his face. "Well, with my gauntlet out of commission, I think I'll just let Robox here destroy you for me."

"You named it Robox?" Shadow asked, cocking her head to one side in surprise.

"Trust me, his name is deceiving," Syndrome assured, bowing out.

Roxas eyed the large Nobody carefully. Like most Nobodies, it had the typical silver-gray color-scheme. It had somewhat of a knight-like appearance, with its arms taking the form of a sword and shield. He grimaced, pushing himself to his feet and quickly firing a sphere of light at it while it was distracted by Shadow. The sphere hit it in the side of its helmeted head, which turned with abnormal speed to look at the Nobody. He saw it raise its sword arm and make a rapid strike towards him. He brought up the Kingdom Key to block a fraction of a second too late. The armored X across his chest took the blow, trapping the sword arm within it.

Unfortunately, though, this didn't last long. His form flared with light, blinding all. When the light faded, Aura form had disappeared, leaving Roxas as he was.

"You Ok?" Angel called.

"Yeah," Roxas called back, not quite daring to take his eyes off of Robox. Coming up with an idea, he called, "Strike when I give you an opening!" With that he lunged forward, gripping the Kingdom Key with both hands and swinging it forward with a powerful blow, which Robox blocked with its shield.

He'd thought that would give Shadow and Angel enough of an opening to attack. However, when the two lunged, Robox swung around and hit them with its sword arm. Though it hit the two with only the flat of the blade, it had enough force behind it to send them flying back.

Though he was worried about his friends, he knew he had to take this chance. He jumped up onto Robox's arm and began to try and run up it. However, the Nobody retaliated quickly, bringing its sword arm around to strike at him and send him flying. _So fast, _he thought as he flipped in the air to let his feet take the impact. The force of the landing jarred him, and he fell to one knee. _And unfortunately strong._

When he looked up, he saw something forming between the Nobody's hands and shield. His eyes widened in surprise and fear, and he quickly pushed himself back to his feet, dashing forward with Keyblade in hand to stop what he knew was coming.

He didn't move fast enough. The energy shot out, engulfing everyone and everything in the room. "No!" he cried, though the sound was muffled by the energy that was engulfing him. He wasn't able to hold up long against the blast before he was suddenly falling through darkness.

**After **a while, Roxas realized he was falling into a familiar scene. He saw the blurry Station of Awakening below him, and flipped so that he could land on the stained glass surface. "Xion?" he asked, wondering what was happening this time to have called him here. Maybe he could find out what was going on with his friend, that the only times she talked to him lately were filled with fear and confusion.

He waited a few moments, looking around him and expecting to see, or at least hear, the black haired girl respond. However, there was no sign of her anywhere. He frowned. "Xion?" he asked nervously, walking forward, his steps echoing off the surface of the Station. When still no sign appeared, he stopped, shaking his head. "Why am I here if she's not? I should be back on Syndrome's Island, fighting."

"And what if she is here?"

Roxas froze in surprise. That was…the second voice. He spun around to see a figure cloaked in shadows standing before him. "Who are you?" he hissed, Keyblade flashing into his hand. "And what have you done with Xion?"

The shadowy figure lifted what Roxas thought to be the head. "She's right here." The mysterious owner of the second voice moved the unconscious form of the black-haired girl forward into a lighter area.

Roxas's eyes widened in fear and anger. "Xion!" he exclaimed, racing forward.

He found himself stopped short by a powerful gust of wind. He tried to brace against it, but the force of the attack was too strong, and he was sent flying back across the Station of Awakening. "Not fast enough."

Roxas pushed himself up and glared at the figure. "Let her go!" he hissed.

The figure in the shadows' head cocked to one side. "Why?"

"You'll regret it if you don't," the Nobody hissed in response.

"Tough words, but didn't I already prove I can force you back pretty easily?" Roxas hesitated, feeling a sense of frustration creep over him. "You can't stop me."

"Yes, I can!" Roxas snapped at the owner of the second voice, refusing to think about what would happen if he couldn't. He dashed forward once more, only to once more run headlong into a wall of wind that sent him flying backwards. He gritted his teeth and jumped back to his feet, using the only option that he had open to him: charge. He was once again met by a powerful wind that sent him flying across the stained glass surface of the Station of Awakening.

"You can't beat me by charging." Roxas groaned, partially pushing himself up to see the mysterious figure that still held Xion. "But that's really the only option you have." Roxas closed his eyes tightly, arms shaking as he pushed himself into a sitting position. _Maybe it's true. Maybe I can't save her._ He felt an unwanted tear slip down his face. _Maybe I can't save any of them._ "Come on," the owner of the second voice called. "Is that really all you'd do to protect your friends?"

The question reverberated through his skull. _What would you do to protect your friends?_ His eyes flashed open, blazing with a new light. "No," he hissed. He propped his Keyblade against the floor, using it to push himself up. "All I want to do…is protect them." He gripped his Keyblade with both hands, pushing himself forward. "Whatever it takes!"

This time he was ready for the wind, and this time, he wasn't going to let it stop him. He jumped up as the wind blasted towards him. The force of it still caught him, but this time sent him flying further up instead of straight back across the Station. Now, looking down at the figure still holding Xion, he threw his Keyblade with all of his might. The blade spun through the air, colliding with a clang against the figure's head. As he fell, he saw both his Keyblade and what appeared to be a helmet skid away from the owner of the second voice. Then he collided with the stained glass floor.

He felt pain lance through him, and he groaned, wanting to curl in on himself. However, he knew he couldn't, not while Xion was still in danger. He managed to push himself slightly, reaching out a shaky hand to recall the Kingdom Key to his hand. "Impressive," the second voice commented. He looked up, and saw that the second voice's owner had stepped out of the shadows and released Xion, though his vision was so blurry that he couldn't see the person very clearly. He saw the figure put what he'd thought was the helmet back on, and he quickly shook his head to try and correct his vision.

He staggered back to his feet, glaring at the armored knight before him. He swung his Keyblade, which the knight caught in one armored hand. "You won't stop me…from protecting my friends!"

The owner of the second voice looked at him a moment more before giving him a slow nod. "You've passed the test."

His Keyblade was released, leaving him to stare back in shock. "What?"

"Roxas."

He turned his gaze to Xion, who was now standing upright and fully aware. "Xion?" he exclaimed. "What's going on?"

Xion looked at him, her eyes sparking with fear, but, greater than that, compassion. "We needed to test you."

"For what?" He looked at her with confusion boiling inside him. "Don't you trust me?"

As Xion looked away, the owner of the second voice took up responding. "It wasn't so much a matter of us trusting you, but a matter of you truly realizing the lengths to which you'd be willing to go to protect your friends." There was a pause, then, "You'll need that knowledge soon enough."

Roxas found that the Station of Awakening was suddenly filling with light. Just before he was transported away, he saw once more the figures on the blurry glass floor. This time, he could make out the three people more clearly, and his eyes widened when he saw that each person wielded a Keyblade.

**Roxas **was surprised to find that, upon his return, he was still being blasted by the beam from Robox. He gritted his teeth, remembering the wall of wind the second voice had fired at him. _This won't stop me!_ he hissed mentally, struggling and managing to push a step forward. _I know…that I'm willing to pay whatever price I need to…to protect my friends!_

He let out a cry as he tried to push forward against the energy wave. New yet somewhat familiar energy from within burned through his limbs, flashing out in a burst of light that counteracted the one fired by Robox. The energy formed and settled around his body, and a new ability suddenly burst into existence. Rings of light surrounded him, protecting him from the attack. As the energy burst and ability faded, Roxas still stood tall. Golden armor now covered all of his body except his head. A large white X stretched across his chest and wrapped around his back. _This…is Guardian form._

He knew the first thing he had to do, however, was check that his friends were alright. "Shadow, Angel! Violet, Dash!" he called, looking from one group to the other.

"We're OK!" Shadow called.

"Define 'Ok'," Angel growled back.

"We're fine, too," Violet added. "Even bound, I can still manage to put up a force field!"

Roxas nodded his assent to them, then turned his gaze back to Robox, who was striking with his sword arm. He immediately called upon the rings of light to surround him. They caught the attack just in time, forcing it back, though they faded out of existence soon after. He took this opportunity of stunned surprise from Robox to lunge forward, jumping up and swinging his Keyblade to impact the giant Nobody in the chest. It stumbled slightly, but was able to recover before Roxas landed, swinging its shield arm towards him. He counteracted with the rings of light, which once again force the attack back.

The attack, however, gave him an idea. A small grin slipped onto his face as he raced forward. Robox, this time, didn't seem to feel the need to waste time attacking him with sword and shield, and instead began to charge up energy once more. This time, however, Roxas was close enough to counterattack. He jumped up towards the forming energy. Just as he reached it, he called upon the rings of light. The rings forced back the power of the energy into Robox. The Nobody let out a strangled sound as the energy that hit it caused several small explosions to line its body. It began to fall backwards, its body fading back into darkness before it ever hit the floor.

Roxas landed on his feet, turning his gaze towards Syndrome, who was gaping in surprise. "You- this isn't over!"

"Are you sure?" Syndrome and Roxas both looked over in surprise at the new voice. Shadow and Angel were standing beside Dash, Violet, and their parents.

Shadow had the usual cheeky grin on her face. "Dude, you should pay more attention."

"While you were watching the fight, we were setting them free," Angel added, arms crossed and a glare on his face.

Dash's father gave the villain a hard look. "Give it up, Syndrome. It's over."

"**Do **you really think we needed to be so extreme with him?"

Xion turned to look at her companion. "You attacked him," she snapped.

Armored hands were held up in a defensive gesture. "Hey, it was your idea to play dead. I figured I needed to make it believable."

"I guess we're both at fault, then," she sighed, looking away.

"…You still haven't answered my question." After a few more seconds of silence, she gave a slow nod. "Why?"

Her mind was suddenly very vividly filled with the image of the dark Roxas she'd seen in her vision. "Just trust me on this one."

_There's the end of chapter fifty - four. Please review?_


	55. Escape the Castle

_Here's chapter fifty - five. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, kingdomdisney, Flightfoot, NumberXIII, SkyWarrior2, ozsanlol, and Confizzledworld for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Fifty - Five: Escape the Castle**

Sora's eyes flicked open to darkness. He sat up abruptly, wishing there was some source of light in the dungeon. "Riku? Kairi?" he asked, looking at both the cells beside him despite knowing it was too dark to see his friends.

He heard the sound of movement in both cells. "What is it, Sora?" he heard Riku groan.

"Were you two asleep?"

"Obviously," Riku sighed back.

"Why do you ask?" Kairi added.

"I thought I heard something," he hissed in response.

"Maybe you imagined it," Riku suggested.

He gave a small laugh. "Yeah, most likely." He fell back to the ground, preparing to go back to sleep, when he heard the sound again: a rustling and a faint muttering. He sat bolt upright. "That's it!" He was once again looking blindly at his friends. "Did you guys hear it?"

"I…think so," Kairi whispered in response.

"What is it?" Riku hissed.

They didn't have to wait long for an answer. The door to the dungeon creaked open, spilling torchlight into the darkness. Sora blinked, trying to let his eyes adjust to the sudden light. Walking down the steps, he could just make out the shadowy shape of a person. The person stopped before the three cells, shining a torch's fire in their faces. Sora shielded his eyes while he waited for them to adjust. "Who are you?"

There was a snort. "Forgetful, are we?" a voice asked.

The eyes of the Keyblader finally adjusted to the light, and he saw the face of the Time Racer he remembered was called Kisue. "What do you want?" he hissed.

"Has Zylen sent you to interrogate us some more?" Riku added with a glare.

The Time Racer hurriedly shook his head. "No. He doesn't even know I'm down here."

The trio looked at him in surprise. "Then…why…?" Kairi asked, eyes glittering with confusion.

Slowly, Kisue pulled an odd looking crystal out from within his robe. He looked at the crystal a few moments, a blank expression on his face and his eyes swimming with indecision, before he spun it in his hand and jabbed it into the barrier surrounding Sora's cell. The Keyblader closed his eyes against the sudden burst of light. When the light faded, he blinked his eyes open to see the once barricaded metal door hanging open. "Huh?" he exclaimed in surprise, before having to close his eyes again as a flash of light appeared at first Riku's, then Kairi's, cells.

As he blinked his eyes open once more, Riku was already asking the question that was waiting on his tongue; "Why did you set us free?"

Kisue pocketed the crystal once more. "Zylen has hovered over us for so long. Ever since he overthrew and nearly killed Angel, we've been afraid of him." Kisue shivered.

"Angel?" Sora asked, unable to help the question.

"The former leader of the Time Racers," the man replied. "We still wanted the power Zylen could provide us, and were too afraid to leave. But now…" Kisue shook his head. "Now, it appears everything is falling apart. I will not live in fear anymore."

The Time Racer had begun to call up a mist around him. "Well, I don't like what you've been doing," Sora told him as the mist slowly swam up his body. "But…you did set us free. Thank you." The ghost of a smile appeared on his face before the mist swallowed him completely, dissipating to leave nothing behind.

"So…we're free," Riku hinted.

"Yeah," Sora said with a nod. "Let's go." With that, the trio headed up the steps and up into the stone ramparts of Time Castle.

"Sora, if we see any other Time Racers…" Kairi trailed off.

Sora turned to look at her. "Yeah?" he urged.

"Should we fight them?"

He paused. That was a good question. "Well…I think we should focus on getting out first," he replied. "Once we find Roxas, we can come back and fight these guys."

Kairi gave a terse nod. "Ok."

The trio continued on, trying to remain silent as they traversed the dark hallways of Time Castle. All three kept their eyes open for any sign of Time Racers. However, they made it through most of the stone corridors without even catching a glimpse of them. Sora couldn't help feeling relieved as they reached the entrance they had once gone through. It seemed like an eternity ago now. "Ready?" he hissed.

"Ready," his friends replied in unison.

"Then let's go." With that, the trio raced off across the open ground.

They never knew that a pair of eyes had seen the whole thing.

"**Zylen?"** a voice said into the din.

The leader of the Time Racers turned from the window of his corridor to look at the person who'd spoken. "Yes, Domian?" he asked.

"The Keybladers…" he began hesitantly. He trailed off, seemingly unsure of how to continue.

Zylen narrowed his eyes. "What about them?" he hissed.

"They're gone."

The Time Racer's eyes widened in fury and surprise. "What?" he barked. "How?"

"Kisue," Domian said hesitantly. "I saw the whole thing."

"And you didn't try to stop him?" Zylen snarled in fury. Domian looked at him fearfully, but didn't dare to leave. The dark man was pacing around the room, anger seething beneath his skin. How _dared _he betray him? Yes, there were other Time Racers, but they held little significance. Though they still sided with him after Angel's defeat, they didn't have a direct hand in it. He, Domian, Hilran, and Kisue had been the ones to plan and execute the overthrow. He'd always considered them his close, inner circle, one that he could count on to do whatever dirty work he required of them.

And now one of them had betrayed him.

He whipped around to face Domian, lip curled in a snarl and eyes glittering with rage. "Send some of the other Time Racers out after Kisue!" he snarled. "Tell them to kill him on sight."

"Sir?" Domian asked in surprise.

Zylen ignored the comment. "After that, you will come with me and Hilran and stop the Keybladers."

The other Time Racer nodded a quick ascent. "Of course, sir."

As he turned around and headed off to do as he was asked, Zylen called after him in a freezing voice, "If ever you do something like that again, Domian, you know the price." Domian froze in his tracks. "Do you understand?"

He didn't turn back to look at him as he answered. "Of course, sir." Then he hurried off at a much brisker pace.

Zylen stared after him a few moments, eyes glittering with such malice that their essence remained even a few seconds after the time portal had swallowed him.

"**There **has to be some way off this world," Sora gasped as he and Riku stopped to let Kairi catch up.

"Maybe," Riku replied, panting. "The only Gummi ship we saw was the broken down one Hilran brought us here in, and Roxas probably had to use that one to get out himself."

"So…we may really have to fight the Time Racers if we hope to escape?" Sora asked in response.

"Fight the Time Racers?" Kairi asked as she made it to them.

Slowly, his breathing was returning to normal. "If there's no way to get off." He wasn't sure he liked the idea, either.

Suddenly, all three froze, hearing a sound that was somewhat familiar. The trio whipped around to see an all too familiar Time Racer materialize out of the mist. "And what would you three be doing outside your cells?" Zylen hissed, eyes narrowed in a glare and mouth pressed in a thin line.

Sora summoned his Keyblade, instinctively stepping in front of Kairi. "Leave us alone," he hissed.

"Touchy, aren't we?" a female voice asked. Sora spun around to see Hilran appear, reaching for Kairi. However, she found the Princess of Heart was not without her own defense as she summoned her own Keyblade to ward off the Time Racer.

"Maybe you should think before trying to take on us," a third voice added. Riku's Keyblade burst into his hand as Domian suddenly emerged from his own gout of mist.

The trio pressed close together, their weapons facing outwards towards their enemies. Sora couldn't help remembering what had happened the last time they had fought the Time Racers, and found himself wondering if they should try escaping instead of facing them all at once.

No!

He started at the voice that reverberated throughout his head, the one that had spoken to him in the cell. _You again!_

You can't give up! You have to stop them, for the sake of the worlds. And for your friends.

_We're not the only ones fighting them, _Sora instinctively argued.

…I know. And I know Roxas and the others are fighting as hard as they can. Which means that you have to do all you can, too, to help make sure their efforts aren't in vain!

The Keyblader recognized the truth in those words. _Right,_ he agreed, brandishing his weapon.

Then there was no more time for talking of any sort. Zylen lashed out his hand, his long sword forming as he did so. Sora raised his Keyblade to block the blow. He used his weapon to push the sword aside, then whipped it away to stab at the Time Racer's leader. Zylen managed to move out of the way just in time to avoid the blow, but was still close enough to get hit by the Kingdom Key in a sideways swipe. The Time Racer skidded a few feet away from the force of the blow, and, before he could retaliate, Sora was upon him, rapidly swinging his weapon. Zylen was able to block a few of the blows before they broke through his defenses, hitting his torso with powerful strikes. The Time Racer's breath hissed out as he was slammed into a rock. "Ready to give up?" Sora taunted.

To his surprise, a smirk edged its way onto Zylen's face. "Fool." Mist swirled up around him, leaving Sora to gape in surprise, only to belatedly remember the powers the Time Racers had.

By then he was already being struck by Zylen's blade. He cried out in surprise, but was able to use to force of the blow to push him into a roll away from the man. When he came up from the roll to face his opponent once more, however, Zylen had already disappeared, and was landing another blow across his back, which this time sent him sprawling through the dirt.

He was able to roll over and bring his Keyblade up in time to block the sword that was coming down towards him. Zylen seemed mildly surprised that he'd been able to block the blow, which was enough to allow Sora to kick his feet up into the Time Racer's stomach and push him away. He jumped back to his feet, lunging forward to strike at him. He only managed to get one good blow in before Zylen recovered, blocking the remainder of his three-strike combo with his blade before lunging out himself before Sora had time to retaliate.

Zylen teleported away, and Sora, knowing he'd come up behind him, whipped around in preparation to strike him with his Keyblade. When the Time Racer appeared, the two blades clashed in a flash of sparks. The eyes of his opponent narrowed. "Your Nobody did the same thing."

Sora blinked in surprise. "You fought Roxas?"

That distraction would be his undoing.

The Time Racer quickly pulled his blade back and jerked it up between Sora's hands. The Keyblader cried out with pain and surprise as the Kingdom Key flew from his now-bloody hands. He reached out a hand to try and recall it, but was unable to when Zylen sent out a barrage of strikes, sending the Keyblade once more skidding through the dirt.

Sora managed to push himself upright, only to find himself being picked up and thrown by the Time Racer. He collided with a rock with intensive force. In the back of his mind, he heard the voice:

No…this is…all my fault…

Then a powerful blow came down upon his head.

His last thoughts before losing consciousness were, _Riku…Kairi…Roxas…I'm sorry._

**The **three Time Racers looked down at the unconscious Keybladers. "What now?" Domian asked.

"We could finish them right here and now," Hilran suggested.

Zylen shook his head. "No. We may still need them."

"They might escape again," Domian warned.

Zylen fixed him with a warning glare that he cowered under. "Then we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen. This time, Domian, use your magic to keep them unconscious. There will be no more escapes."

The Time Racer shivered. "Yes, sir."

They all knew that didn't just go for the Keybladers.

_There's the end of chapter fifty - five. Review, please?_


	56. Twilight Memories

_Here's chapter fifty - six. Thanks go to Flightfoot, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, SkyWarrior2, kingdomdisney, ozsanlol, NexarkXIII, and Confizzledworld for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Fifty - Six: Twilight Memories **

"No." The owner of the second voice shook a helmeted head, armored knees falling to hit the stained glass floor. "What have I done?"

"You tried to help them," Xion comforted, unable to keep herself from being reminded of her dark vision of Roxas. "No one can fault you for that."

"But look where it got them!" There was a pause before her companion gave a sad sigh. "I failed."

"But…they're not dead," Xion tried. "And, they wouldn't kill them…would they?"

Her companion gave a snort. "No, they still have too much value for that," came the venomous reply. "They'll just keep them asleep until they manage to get what they want. They'll be trapped forever."

"Not true," Xion argued. "Roxas is still out there, fighting. We can't give up yet."

The helmeted head shot up. "Right." The owner of the second voice stood. "We can still guide him. This time…I won't mess up."

Xion stared after her friend and companion, then slowly closed her eyes. _I know he'll save them, _she thought, remembering all too vividly her vision. _But what will it cost?_

"**What?"**

Roxas faced his companions and fixed them with a level stare as the cry came from both their mouths. "You heard me. I have to go to Twilight Town."

They were still on Syndrome's Island, though they had left Violet, Dash, and their parents and returned to the Gummi ship. The four supers had promised to take Syndrome into custody, allowing the trio to return to their own quest. However, before they left, he had known he'd needed to tell them about his encounter with Lea.

Angel narrowed his eyes. "If Lea told you this, then don't you think this is a trap?"

"I _know _it is," Roxas replied.

"Then why do you want to go?" the former Time Racer queried.

"It's just…" he trailed off as memories of both his Somebody and of his odd encounters with Lea and the Time Racers raced through his mind. He shook his head, focusing more fully on the task at hand. "The Time Racers may have abandoned him, but Lea's still up to something. I have to know what it is. Besides, right now, Lea's our best option to find out a way to get back to Time Castle."

Shadow and Angel exchanged glances before Shadow prompted him with, "And?"

"And…I'm really sick of all this fighting." He lowered his head, briefly unable to meet their stares. He took a deep breath and recollected himself, looking up once more. "This needs to end once and for all."

"Fair enough, I guess," Angel commented. Then his gaze sharpened. "But, again, you're knowingly going head first right into a trap. How are you going to handle that?"

Shadow answered before he could. "Oh, come on, Angel, I do stuff like that all the time! He can learn from me."

The Nobody managed a small smile. "That was the plan."

"See?" Shadow added with a smirk. Angel simply rolled his eyes.

"I know what I'm doing is taking a risk," Roxas murmured, thinking back to his attempted bargain with the Time Racers at Radiant Garden. "But I also know that I have to do this. If you don't want to be a part of this, though…that's fine."

His two companions exchanged another glance before turning back to him with grins on their faces. "And miss all the fun?" Shadow asked. "Now why would we do that?"

"You're stuck with us for a while longer," Angel added.

The nobody blinked once, then gave them a small smile. "Thanks, guys."

_**Well, **__we're here._ Roxas looked around the town shrouded in twilight. The memories almost overwhelmed him. A few tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. _Who would've thought…I'd ever get to come back here._

"Not the same place Angel time-traveled us to before," Shadow commented as she and Angel came to stand beside him. She glanced over at him. "Hey, are you crying?"

"Uh, sorry," he murmured, quickly wiping away the drops. "Just a lot of memories."

"Oh, yeah, you've been here before," Shadow said, turning her gaze back to the town before them.

"Nice job, you can state the obvious," Angel commented dryly.

"So, you can show us around?" Shadow asked, obviously unconcerned by Angel's remark.

"Yeah," Roxas replied with a nod. "Back where we landed is the forest, and the old Haunted Mansion isn't far away." Memories of meeting Namine in the white room filled his head. He began walking forward, leaving his companions to follow behind him. "This is the Tram Common," he added, watching as a Tram rode by on the tracks. He couldn't help remembering that he'd once followed Xion here when she'd disappeared from the Organization. He quickened his pace as he headed away from the Tram Common and into and open area. "And this is the Sand Lot." He recalled battling for the Struggle Championship in the virtual Twilight Town, and then having to fight Axel when time stalled. His legs reached further ahead, forcing his companions to try and keep up with him.

Then he was running, heading into the back alleys towards the Usual Spot. His strides ate up the ground as he ran through the alleys and pushed his way without thinking through the curtain that covered the entrance. As he pushed his way through, he say three faces look up in surprise. _Hayner. Pence. Olette._ He gave a small smile, closing his eyes. _It's as if nothing's changed._

"Hey, who are you?" Pence's voice forced his eyes to snap open.

"Yeah, who do you think you are, just bursting into our place like that?" Hayner added.

"O-oh, sorry," Roxas apologized awkwardly, looking away.

"Hayner, don't be so mean," Olette scolded. "I'm Olette, by the way."

"I'm Pence," the black-haired boy added. "The grumpy one over there's Hayner."

_I know. _"Roxas," he said, overriding Hayner's protest.

Olette looked at him, frowning. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

He gave her a sad smile. "No. Not really."

"Oh, man, look at the time!" Pence cried in alarm.

"Guess we'd better get home, then," Hayner replied, getting up from his seat.

"Bye, Roxas," Olette said as she followed the two boys out.

He felt a sharp pang as the three people he'd once thought were his best friends left without him. "Goodbye," he whispered, feeling once more the sting of tears.

Behind him, he heard the sound of the curtain moving once more. "Hey, why'd you take off like that?" Shadow panted.

He managed a smile, turning around. "Just memories."

"Dude, you're crying again," Shadow said, pointing.

"Who knew a Nobody could cry so much?" Angel commented with a small smirk.

He managed a small laugh, wiping away the tears once more. "Come on; let's see if we can find Lea." As the trio left the Usual Spot, he found himself thinking, _Even if the ones I once thought were friends can't remember me, I'm not alone. _He glanced behind him at his companions. _I have friends here with me now._ He looked to the sky. _Is that what you were thinking, Xion, when you decided to give yourself up?_

"Roxas, look out!"

The Nobody jerked back into reality at the alarmed cry, and was able to summon the Keyblade just in time to ward off the attack of a lunging Heartless. It only took a few strikes to bring the dark being down, sending a pink heart flying up towards the sky. More Heartless spawned around him, ready to strike.

"I think we found the trap," Angel commented, summoning his daggers.

"Alright, let's kick their asses!" Shadow said with a devilish grin, slipping on her claw gauntlets.

Both boys looked at her in surprise. "And you yelled at me for swearing," Angel commented, shaking his head.

She shrugged. "Yep, you've rubbed off on me." She dashed forward towards the Heartless, lashing out with her gauntlets to cut through the creatures.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Not enough, apparently." Then he was off, as well, daggers spinning as he fought the Heartless.

Roxas turned his eyes towards the encroaching creatures once more, brandishing his weapon. He delivered a powerful upward slash as the first jumped towards him, then spun and cut through another as it jumped towards him, the blow sending darkness and black blood spiraling through the air. He ducked beneath the strike of another Heartless, using a jumping strike to cut through it.

Other Heartless jumped after him into the air, and he managed to spin as he rose to slash at them with his Keyblade. As he fell back towards the ground, he flipped in midair, using his weight to deliver a more powerful strike towards a Heartless still jumping through the air. He used the creature's fading form as a solid base to push off from, gripping his Keyblade with both hands to swing and cut right through a Heartless midair. He flew through the spiraling tendrils of darkness, managing to turn his body as he neared the wall so that his feet hit its surface. He bent his knees and pushed off as soon as his feet hit, managing the cut through a Heartless closer to the ground as he flew on a straight path before flipping and bringing his Keyblade down to flatten another one to the ground.

He crouched, waiting for the next assault of Heartless. However, to his surprise, no more came. "That's it?" Shadow asked as Roxas slowly stood. "Geez, not much of a trap."

"Something's wrong here," Angel murmured.

"_Now_ who's stating the obvious?" Shadow teased.

_What are you up to, Lea?_ "Come on," Roxas said aloud, "let's-"

He was cut short by the sound of a scream. "What was that?" Shadow exclaimed in surprise.

The scream came again, and Roxas's eyes widened in surprise. "This way!" he called, turning and running back towards the Sand Lot.

That was where he saw Hayner, Pence, and Olette, all looking beat and worn. Standing over them was the smirking form of Lea. "Well, you three aren't very tough, are you?"

"Shut up," Hayner groaned.

"Aren't you that guy…that took Kairi before," Olette asked.

The smirk never faltered. "Sorry, wrong person." He looked up, noticing Roxas, Shadow, and Angel as they entered. "Well, what took you so long?"

"Leave them alone, Lea!" Roxas hissed, skidding to a halt only when he'd put himself between the three Twilight Town kids and the dark man. "They have no part in this."

"But they did once, didn't they?"

He gritted his teeth. "Shut up!"

Lea snorted, obviously amused. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked, glaring at him. "Why'd you tell me to come find you here?"

"I just needed…a few more hearts."

Roxas's eyes widened as he realized what he meant. They'd fallen into the trap, after all. "Kingdom Hearts."

"That's right."

"But…_why_?" Roxas asked, frustrated and curious. "What purpose does it serve?"

"It will make the Time Racers finally realize how useful I can be." By now, the smirk had faded, to be replaced by cold anger. "Don't you get it? They can use the power of Kingdom Hearts to create their portal to the past. And because I got it for them, they'll have to include me!"

"You're insane," Roxas murmured, eyes widening.

Lea summoned his Chakrams. "And since you've gotten me the hearts I needed, I no longer need you." He lunged for him. "Goodbye!"

_That's the end of chapter fifty - six. …Is it sad that I actually cried when I wrote about Roxas's memories of Twilight Town? _O_o' _Sometimes I think I get way to into this story…anywho, review?_


	57. Crumbling Walls

_Here's chapter fifty - seven. Thanks go to DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Confizzledworld, caitlinkeitorin, PhantomGirl12, NexarkXIII, kingdomdisney, Clarilune, SkyWarrior2, AerethWave, CatchingForRain, and ozsanlol for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Fifty - Seven: Crumbling Walls**

Roxas brought his blade up just in time to block Lea's furious attack. The dark man's eyes narrowed in fury as he struck rapidly with his Chakrams, trying to push back the Nobody's defenses. Roxas grimaced, bracing his blade with both hands to prevent his opponent from breaking through.

What Lea didn't count on this time, however, were his friends.

The man let out a cry of pain as Shadow hit him from behind with her claw gauntlets. He was distracted from Roxas long enough so that the Nobody could slip past his defenses and hit him hard with his Keyblade, sending him flying back towards where Angel was waiting. The former Time Racer brought his daggers down in an X as Lea flew towards him, causing their opponent to go tumbling in the dirt.

Lea glared up at Roxas from his place on the ground. "So you got a few lucky strikes," he sneered. "We'll see how long that lasts." Before any of them could react, he'd jumped up into a gout of darkness.

Roxas heard the familiar sound of a corridor of darkness opening behind him, and he whipped around in preparation for the blow that would come. One Chakram flew towards him, which he deflected easily with his blade. However, that flying Chakram distracted him enough so that he didn't notice Lea was racing towards him until his opponent was almost upon him. He caught the Chakram that was being slashed towards him just in time. For a few moments, the two struggled to overpower each other, before Roxas finally ducked away. With no force pushing him back, Lea nearly toppled forward, and it was hard for Roxas to slip behind him and deliver a powerful strike across his back that sent him flying.

Unfortunately, he recovered quickly. He tucked into a roll as he fell, managing to return to his feet near where his other Chakram had fallen. He spun around, kicking his second weapon up with his foot and catching it before dashing forward towards Roxas once more. Though the Nobody was able to slip to the side to avoid Lea's lunge, he wasn't able to spin around in time to block the Chakram to sliced his side. He gritted his teeth against the pain, skidding to a stop and spinning around to face his opponent once more.

Lea was smirking at him, his eyes glittering with darkness. "See? I can take you."

At that moment, Angel launched himself at him from behind, causing him to let out a cry of alarm as the impact sent him flying forward. Shadow slipped around in front of him, and with a wicked grin, slashed her claw gauntlets across the front of him to send him tumbling backwards over himself. "I don't fight alone." Instinctively, he reached into his pocket and fingered Xion's seashell. "My friends are always by my side."

Lea slowly picked himself up from the dirt. "You haven't even begun to see the extent of my power." He gripped his Chakrams harder for a few moments before sending them flying. Roxas braced himself to block the attack.

However, to his surprise, the Chakrams didn't appear to be aimed at anyone in particular. His eyes widened as he saw that the weapons trailed dark fire that was scattering itself from the spinning weapons around the sandlot. "Stop them!" Roxas cried in alarm. He dashed forward towards one, swinging his Keyblade to impact the weapon. The Chakram almost seemed to have a mind of its own, pushing back forcefully against him. He tried to brace himself, but was overpowered by the flying disk.

And was left to be hit by the trail of dark fire that came behind it.

He cried out in pain as the fire seared his skin. It felt as if it were seeping into his veins, running through him in place of the blood that Somebodies possessed. He writhed, the part of his mind that wasn't overwhelmed by the terrible burning of the dark fire telling him he needed to pull himself out and fight back.

"Stop it!" he heard a voice cry.

He managed to open his eyes slightly and turn his gaze outside the blaze of darkness to see Hayner and Pence launch themselves at a startled Lea. The dark man struggled with them a few moments before throwing them off. "You idiots. Why are you trying to fight me?" _Hayner. Pence. Olette._ He managed to stretch out a hand and began pulling himself out of the dark inferno.

"Roxas protected us," Olette explained quietly.

"So now its our turn to protect him," Hayner finished.

Lea scowled at them. "Don't involve yourselves in things that don't concern you." He called his weapons back to his hands, raising them in preparation to strike.

"No!" Roxas cried in alarm, his desperation to protect the trio overpowering the pain induced on him by the dark fire. As he dashed forward, he felt a familiar power stirring inside him. Light flared around him, fading as he skidded in front of Lea's blow to reveal the gold of Guardian form. He instantly called the rings of light as the dark man struck down. His emerald eyes widened in surprise as he was sent flying backwards by the light power.

He felt as if accessing Guardian form had rid him of the poison the dark fire had spilled inside him. He launched himself forward, swinging his Keyblade at Lea as soon as he regained himself. His opponent had no time to react, ending up being battered by a barrage of strikes from the Keyblade and ending up being sent sprawling in the dirt once more.

Lea glared up at him. "Why do you protect them?" he hissed, quiet enough so that only Roxas heard. "They were never your friends."

The golden haired Nobody inclined his head. "In another world, they were." He closed his eyes briefly and took a steadying breath. When his eyes snapped open again, they glowed with an inner light. "I won't let you hurt them."

Lea sneered at him. "You're a fool." He sprang to his feet, launching himself at the Nobody.

However, a pair of claw gauntlets blocked the strike before it reached him. "Hey, did you forget about us?" Shadow asked, a cheeky smile on her lips.

"What?" Lea cried in alarm.

Shadow slipped to the side, allowing Angel to slip past her and slash at the dark man with his sparrow-winged daggers. "Apparently," he commented as Lea skidded away.

Lea sent the trio a furious glare. "You three…" His eyes darkened, widening so that they showed the dark fire that blazed within him. He let out a vicious cry, dark fire springing up around the Sandlot.

"Together?" Roxas asked, looking at his friends.

Both nodded. "Together."

The trio lunged forward at the same time Lea did, the three ready to intercept his attack. Roxas reached the man first and summoned the rings of light to bounce him away. Shadow was there to catch him with her claw gauntlets. The blades of her weapons caught in the fabric of his sleeveless shirt, but, as usual, she took this is stride, managing to use his own momentum to swing him around and send him towards Angel, freeing her gauntlets in the process. He flew right into a quick jab followed by a more powerful slash from Angel's daggers that sent him staggering backwards. Though he regained his footing, he was unable to guard against Roxas's jumping strike.

Lea fell to one knee, the dark flames around the Sandlot slowly dying. "Face it, Lea," Roxas said as he and his companions looked at him. "You can't beat us."

Slowly, a smirk crossed his face. "Maybe not all of you together." He pushed himself back to his feet, raising his arms. Immediately, Nobodies spawned where the dark flames had once been. "But alone, I can!"

Roxas quickly turned his gaze to look at the Twilight Town trio. "Get out of here!" he warned.

"And leave you to face this creep alone?" Hayner asked.

Roxas couldn't help feeling - or, at least, thinking he was feeling - a sad sort of understanding. "I'm not alone," he reminded them. "This is too dangerous for you guys."

"But-" Hayner's protest was cut short by the attack of a Nobody.

"Hayner! Pence! Olette!" he cried in alarm.

"Look out, Roxas!" Shadow cried, jerking him to pay attention to the other Nobodies. He blocked the strike of an Assassin, calling up the rings of light immediately afterward to force back any other incoming Nobodies.

He noticed immediately that the majority of the Nobodies were congregating around Shadow and Angel, slowly forcing them back. "Shadow! Angel!" he cried in alarm, jumping forward.

He felt the Chakram hit his shoulder, and even though it didn't break through his armor, it hit with enough force to send him sprawling on the ground. "Are you running away from our fight, Nobody?"

Roxas gave him a heated glare, then pushed himself up enough to send his Keyblade flying towards the Nobodies surrounding his friends. The blade cut through some before falling and allowing him to call it back.

It was all he could do before Lea struck. He immediately summoned the rings of light to protect against the blow, rolling away as the defensive ability forced Lea's arms backwards. He managed to regain a standing position, and glanced over towards Shadow and Angel. To his relief, they protecting Hayner, Pence, and Olette, and managing to hold their own against the constant onslaught of Nobodies.

He let out a startled cry as both of Lea's Chakrams hit him, chipping his armor. "Don't lose focus," the dark man taunted as he caught his deflected weapons and lunged towards him.

Roxas immediately called up the rings of light to deflect the man before lunging forward himself, Keyblade swinging to impact his the dark man. "I wasn't planning on it."

Lea looked up at him, a dark smirk on his face, before he faded into the shadows. Roxas blinked in surprise, whipping around in a circle to try and pinpoint where Lea would appear from. He heard the sound of a dark corridor opening, but couldn't tell what direction it came from…

Until orbs of dark fire rained down on top of him. He let out a cry of pain as the spheres hit him, causing large cracks and chips in his armor. He managed to call the rings of light up after a few moments of the barrage to protect himself from the remainder.

However, as soon as he let the rings fade, Lea came flying down on top of him. He tried jumping backwards, though one Chakram still caught in the armored X across his chest. The weapon stuck there as the two enemies skidded to opposite sides of the Sandlot, panting and glaring at each other. Roxas gripped the handle of the Chakram and ripped the weapon out of his armor. "That all you got?" he hissed, trying to feign confidence.

"Oh, I've got plenty more!" Lea snarled, gripping his remaining Chakram tightly and lunging forward. Roxas called the rings of light to block his lunge, but Lea, upon seeing this, skidded to a halt and shot a volley of dark fire instead. He was only able to hold the rings of light for a few moments before the dark fire broke through and managed to hit him. Lea, smirking, jumped up into the air.

Roxas, however, was far from finished. Gritting his teeth and gripping his Keyblade with both hands, he jumped up after his enemy. Lea sent his remaining Chakram flying, which the Nobody blocked with his rings of light, before he reached Lea. He swung his Keyblade in a powerful downward blow, sending the dark man crashing into the ground. As he fell towards him, brandishing the Kingdom Key, Lea managed to scramble out of the way, leaving Roxas's weapon to impact only earth. As Lea frantically reached for one of his Chakrams, he launched himself forward to attack.

Lea managed to regain his Chakram and stab it, swimming with dark fire, up into the crack in the armored X across Roxas's chest. His eyes widened in alarm as the weapon and its dark magic widened the crack. Though the weapon itself didn't touch his skin, the dark fire did, searing through him and drawing forth a cry of pain from his lips. Light flared around him, and as it cleared, the force of the dark fire sent him flying backwards.

Lea, panting, stood up and retrieved his other Chakram. "This is it," he hissed as Roxas staggered to his feet. Though he still felt the pain of the dark fire, he gripped his Keyblade tightly, a defiant glare on his face. Even so, though, he wasn't entirely sure he could continue to hold his own against Lea's fire.

No! It can't…end like this! Not again!

He jerked in surprise as the sound of the second voice echoed through his head. He heard something that sounded like armor clinking behind him, and slowly turned from Lea to see a faint, armored outline of the owner of the second voice.

I…have to help. I have to!

With that, the specter of the second voice flew forward. Roxas didn't even have time to blink as it flew into him, dissipating and reaching deep inside him. Light flooded throughout his body, and, as it began to seep out, he let out an involuntary cry.

As the light faded, Roxas's clothes had turned to varying shades of green. A pale green armored X stretched across his chest and back, and the helmet of the second voice's owner now adorned his head. "What? Didn't I already destroy your armor?" Slowly, he turned back to face Lea. "Doesn't matter, I guess. I'll take you down, anyway."

"Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?"

"Friend?" Lea scoffed. "My Nobody was your friend, not me. Did that light screw up your memory?"

He snorted with amusement. "You told me to get it memorized over ten years ago, back in Radiant Garden. Guess you forgot to do the same."

"What? What are you-" he cut himself short, eyes slowly widening in surprise. "No…no, it can't be!" He took a step backwards, shaken to the core. "_Ventus?_"

**Deep **inside the Nobody, where no one could see, two identical faces looked at each other, and two identical voices cried two very different things.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, crap."

_There's the end of chapter fifty - seven! Review, please?_


	58. Wind

_This is chapter fifty - eight. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, kingdomdisney, PhantomGirl12, an anonymous reviewer, caitlinkeitorin, and SkyWarrior2 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Fifty - Eight: Wind**

"Who are you?" Roxas repeated, summoning his Keyblade and glaring at the person who could be his clone across the blurry Station of Awakening.

"I'm…the owner of the second voice," the armored boy replied, smiling in a way that said he wished he didn't have to be in this situation.

"I know _that_," Roxas hissed, "but why do you have my voice now? Why do you look like me?" He shook his head, completely astounded by this odd turn of events. "Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Ventus. Ven."

"Ven?" _Where have I heard that name before?_ It took him a few seconds before the memory pooled from the dregs of his mind. His eyes widened. "Wait…Shadow's uncle?"

"Yep," Ven replied with a nod.

Roxas shook his head, still trying to wrap his head around the situation as he dismissed his Keyblade. "But…how are you here? How do you know Xion? How've you been guiding me? And _why _are we so much alike?"

"Geez, a lot of questions," Ven commented, rubbing the back of his head in an apparent attempt of trying to decide which one to start with. "Well, let's start with-" He was cut short as suddenly the Station shook, sending both boys tumbling to the floor.

"What was that?" Roxas asked, pushing himself back to his feet.

"I'm guessing Lea's attacking again," Ven replied, standing up, as well.

"What?" Roxas tried to draw himself out of the Station of Awakening to see what was going on. Unfortunately, he was unable to. "How do I get out of this so I can fight again?"

Ven looked at him and shrugged, his eyes shadowed with worry. "I'm not exactly sure. When I went into your body, I-"

"Wait, you possessed me?" This really wasn't his day.

"Not exactly," Ven replied. "Because I don't really want to take control and you'd probably fight me for it anyways, I only controlled your body long enough to give Lea a scare and buy us some time." Both were once again sent flying as Lea's unseen attack struck at them. They managed to stand up and brace themselves as the outside force continued to pummel their body. "And, after that…I guess we're stuck here."

"What?" Roxas growled. "My friends are out there! I can't just sit back and do nothing!"

"I know," Ven agreed, "that's why this happened in the first place. I wanted to help so much that I wasn't careful."

"Gah!" the Nobody pounded a fist against his hand. "There has to be a way we can fight!"

As if his words were the key, the area in front of the two on the Station of Awakening distorted and widened slowly. In that area appeared and image of what was happening with the battle against Lea. "What's the matter, Ventus?" Lea asked, panting hard. "Did you take control of the Nobody only to let me beat you?"

The two boys looked at each other, identical expressions of surprise on their faces, before they turned their gazes towards the image once more. "No one took control of me!" Roxas barked, wondering if the dark man could hear him.

Apparently he could, because his eyes widened in surprise and he took a couple of paces back. Ven took it up from here and, with a smirk that reminded him very much of Shadow, called, "That's right. We fight together."

"What?" Lea spluttered. "Why? How…?"

"You sure we can do that?" Roxas hissed.

"I don't think we have a choice," his doppelganger replied. Roxas nodded in understanding, and both closed their eyes.

Instantly he found himself looking through the visor of a helmet, and felt the Keyblade still clenched in his fist. However, he knew he wasn't the only one who saw and felt these things; Ventus was right there with him. Roxas tried to lift his leg, and immediately felt a resistance. He figured he could move his leg on his own if he forced enough of his will on it, but knew there wasn't time for that. _We both need to try and do the same action, or this won't work._

_So let's both try standing up first._

In unison both boys willed the legs of their currently shared body under them until they were in a standing position. They didn't need to communicate for both to instinctively tighten their grip on the Kingdom Key. Lea, by now, was shaking of his stupor and glaring at the boys with dark fire in his eyes. Instantly, he lunged forward.

_Block!_

_Dodge!_

As the two boys tried to initiate two different commands, Lea was able to strike them with his Chakrams directly in the armored X across their chest and send them flying.

Ven's voice echoed through his mind as soon as they landed. _Why didn't you dodge?_

_Why didn't you block?_ Roxas countered.

…_This could be harder than I thought._

_Roll!_ Ven registered the quickly barked command and complied, allowing them to roll out of the way before they were hit with a ball of dark fire. Both boys instinctively used the roll to bring them back to their feet, twirling the Keyblade before getting ready to face Lea once more.

_We need a better way of doing this, _Roxas commented. _Block!_

This time Ven listened, and they were able to bring their Keyblade up in time to deflected a barrage of blows from Lea's Chakrams. _How? He's not exactly a slow opponent, so we don't really have time to think these through. Slip away!_ This time Roxas listened, allowing them to pull away from Lea before they were overpowered and causing the dark man to stagger forward.

"And I always thought…taking on two enemies would be hard," Lea panted, a smirk on his face.

_I don't think we have much choice in this case, _Roxas informed the other boy grimly. When no sort of response was drawn out of the boys sharing a body, Lea's smirk turned into a sneer and he sent a wave of dark fire towards them.

_Roxas, use Aeroga!_

_What?_

_Just do it!_

He was surprised at the command, but still mentally cried, _Aeroga!_ Immediately a whirlwind went up around them, catching the dark fire and swirling it around them before dissipating, letting it fall without harming them.

_How'd that happen? I've never been a good magic user, except with light._

Ven's response came quickly. _I could use wind magic. I wondered if maybe we could use some of the abilities I knew._

_Dodge!_

Ven heard the command too late, and Lea was on them when they'd barely started moving. The blades of the Chakrams ripped at them, tearing into skin and drawing…blood? _How?_

_I'm guessing that's my fault._

That just added that extra worry of bleeding to death. Great. _Do you have anything else up your sleeves?_

_Aeroga!_

Roxas obeyed the command, allowing the vortex to sweep up Lea and toss him into the air, holding him there for a few moments before sending him crashing back to the ground. _Now's our chance! Jump and strike! _the Nobody commanded. It was Ven's turn to listen, and they brought their Keyblade down upon the dark man in a powerful strike. Their opponent gritted his teeth, forcing against their Keyblade with his Chakrams as they pushed back. The two sharing the body both had the same initial reaction to this move; pull the Keyblade back and strike from the side, sending him flying.

_Now! Roxas, call Fever Pitch!_ Ven's voice sounded charged with power. He felt surprise and confusion at the command, but called it, anyways.

Instantly power flowed through their body and light surrounded them. _Wh-what is this?_

_This is a special command style, _Ventus replied, _Fever Pitch. It can only activate at certain times, but it's extra strength is worth it._

The Nobody thought the whole concept was interesting, but knew that they had to focus more on the task at hand. _Then let's try this one more time!_ Together they rush forward, Roxas barking out the command for a sideways swing as they neared Lea and the dark man began to stand. They struck at him, and Roxas called out the command to spin around and use the momentum to strike him from behind. The dark man feel, but managed to roll over back onto his feet and send a Chakram flying at them almost instantly. Ven barked out the command to jump, and soon they were in the air, with Roxas calling out the command to throw the Keyblade at Lea. The weapon collided with the dark man, and the called it back as soon as they returned to the ground.

Lea glared at them, clutching his arm. "You bastards!" he roared, sending a massive torrent of dark fire at them. This they were unable to block in time, and were scalded with that flame that seemed to sink deep inside you.

_Salvation!_

_Ok._ As Roxas and Ven called the command, light flared around them. They were vulnerable for a few moments as they charge and Lea came hurtling towards them. However, just before Lea reached them, they spun, releasing pillars of light that sent the dark man flying. Roxas couldn't help but notice that the ill effects of the dark fire disappeared.

However, he also noticed something else; the power coursing through their shared body was changing. _What's happening?_

Ven's voice was laced with nostalgic excitement. _The command style is advancing._ Light flared around them once more. The Keyblade disappeared out of their hand, and six swords of light grew like wings behind them, floating near their back. _Wing Blade!_

They rushed forward, both reveling in the extraordinary speed and power allowed to them by the advanced command style. This time, Roxas let Ven handle all the commands, knowing the other boy would know more about how to handle this than he would. Ven obviously was very happy to take this offer, barking out commands that would send the sword wings around to attack the form of Lea. Their opponent hissed as the blades of light hit, gripping his Chakrams tightly and trying to block the blades. His eyes flashed, and he fired a ball of dark fire at them. They jumped to the side, allowing the dark fire to fly harmlessly by them and causing Lea to look at them with wide eyes. With the Wing Blades on their back, Roxas couldn't help but feel as if they were flying.

The feeling didn't last long, though. As Ven barked out, _Wing Blade!_ Roxas followed. The wing-like swords moved away from their back, going up into the air and plummeting down, tip first, into a circle on the ground. The impact caused light to flare out and hit Lea, causing him to fly high in the sky before falling back down and skidding across the Sandlot.

Immediately he felt the drain of power. _What happened?_

_Calling Wing Blade broke us out of the command style._

_Why'd you call it, then?_

They were sent flying backwards as a Chakram struck them. "Pretty good," Lea panted, struggling to his feet. "But not good enough!" He sent a wave of dark fire towards them.

_Aeroga!_

_Not until you answer my question!_

The dark fire hit them, and the two boys instinctively braced against it. _This is no time to be stubborn!_ Ventus growled.

_Then answer me!_ If he could, Roxas would've clenched his fists. _It seems like no matter what I do, there's always something I don't understand; some question nobody will answer._ The dark fire finally overwhelmed them, causing them to fly back. Both instinctively pushed themselves up. _And I'm tired of it. For once, I want to understand what's going on around me._

…_I had to call Wing Blade because the energy to keep that form only lasts for a certain amount of time._

They slowly pushed themselves to their feet, feeling the burning of the dark fire. _And the rest?_

They summoned the Keyblade. _I'll explain it later. First we have a fight to win._

Lea was dashing towards them once more, Chakrams ready to strike. _Salvation!_ Ven hissed, and Roxas was willing to comply, beginning the charging phase for the powerful attack. This time, Lea skidded to a halt before reaching them. "Oh, no, you don't!" he snarled, releasing a massive wave of dark fire.

Salvation activated just before the dark fire hit them. As they felt the healing energies of the magic attack remove the ill effects of the dark fire from them, the two magic attacks, darkness and light, collided with each other, the massive energy generated from that attack causing them to send the magic flying all around the Sandlot. Both Lea and Roxas-Ventus were hit with the energies of both, battering them and sending them flying so that they each landed with thuds in the dirt.

It took several moments before they could even begin to push themselves back to their feet. "Well," Lea panted, retrieving both his Chakrams, "that hurt. But enough's enough." Roxas and Ven managed to stagger to their feet, but pain lanced through them, and they gave an involuntary groan, hunching over.

As Lea launched himself towards them, however, Roxas felt a more familiar power growing inside him. _Ven, call Limit!_

_Uh, Ok. Limit!_

Immediately Roxas felt the power of his Limit command fill him. _Roxas, this one's all yours,_ Ven informed him.

_Right, _the Nobody replied as their Keyblade turned to a sword of blue light. They dashed forward, catching Lea's Chakrams as he struck at them. His eyes widened in surprise as the blade caught his weapons, and Roxas knew he could see through the tinted visor to the fire that burned in his blue eyes. Not Ven's; _his_. He pushed against Lea's attack for a few moments before allowing himself to slip to the side, swinging his Keyblade around to hit Lea. He jumped after the man as he flew away, hitting him with a swift barrage of blows before his opponent could do anything to retaliate. As he felt himself reaching the end of his Limit, he let the beams of light fly out across the Sandlot. _One more time!_ he hissed, allowing the beams to be sent out once more.

As the power of his Limit faded, Lea managed to push himself up slightly, wincing. As his Chakrams disappeared into darkness, he sent him a glare. "I have what I need. This can be finished another day." With that, he fell into a Corridor of Darkness.

However, Roxas's attentions were not focused on the dark man. Instead, he was once again standing upon the cloudy floor of the Station of Awakening, looking across it at his doppelganger. "Alright. Talk."

_And there's the end of chapter fifty-eight. Review?_


	59. Something to Call Your Own

_Here's chapter fifty - nine. Thank you caitlinkeitorin, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, SkyWarrior2, kingdomdisney, NumberXIII, Flightfoot, ozsanlol, CatchingForRain, and raia14 for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Fifty - Nine: Something to Call Your Own**

"Way to go, Roxas!" Shadow cried as Lea disappeared. The Nobodies surrounding her, Angel, and the kids from Twilight Town hesitated, looking towards where Lea had vanished. Then they, too, disappeared, leaving the six alone in the Sand Lot.

"Those were…Nobodies, weren't they?" Olette asked. "Sora told us about them when he was here."

"Yep," Shadow replied with a nod.

"Then that guy _was_ the one from before," Hayner growled, hitting his fist into his palm.

Angel shook his head. "Trust me, he's not."

"Hey, Roxas, how'd you do that?" Shadow asked, running up before the form of her friend before skidding to a halt. "That was awesome! You've been holding out on us." She waited for a few moments, but didn't get any response. "Um, earth to Roxas, anybody home?" She waved her hand in front of his helmet's visor.

"He isn't responding?" Angel asked in surprise, walking over with Hayner, Pence, and Olette following behind.

"Nothing," she replied, rapping on his helmet with her fist.

Angel caught her arm. "Idiot. You still have your claw gauntlets on."

"Oh. Oops." She removed her gauntlets and put them in her holders.

"'Oops' is your answer to a lot of things," Angel commented dryly.

"What could be wrong with him?" Pence wondered. All five stared at the still boy intently, wondering the same thing; what was happening?

**Ven **seemed hesitant to begin explaining. "Well…"

Roxas's gaze hardened. "Well?"

Ven shrugged, his eyes showing defeat. "Where do you want me to start?"

"How about where Xion is?" Roxas replied. "She's usually here."

"Ok, confusing one to explain," Ven admitted. "Alright, there are two Stations of Awakening that are exactly identical to each other. One is the one Xion is in, otherwise known as the 'time lost' Station, mostly because no one's exactly sure where it is. The other one is the one we're on; the one inside you."

Roxas blinked in surprise, then shook his head. "How are there two Stations that are the same?" When Ven shrugged, he immediately came back with, "Fine, then, why do the two of us look and sound alike?"

"This…could be hard for you to believe." Ven paused, seeming to think this one over for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and replying, "I was a Keyblade apprentice once, more than eleven years ago."

"Keyblade…apprentice?" Roxas interrupted, curious despite himself.

Ven nodded. "Right. Back then, there were people called Keyblade Masters, who could allow others to inherit and wield a Keyblade of their own if they had 'the makings' for it. Keyblade Masters would train these apprentices until they were ready to take the Mark of Mastery exam, allowing them to become true masters."

"So what happened? And why do you still look like a teenager after more than eleven years?"

Ven's smile was a sad one, and in it, Roxas finally saw him in his true age. "The full story is long and not one we have time for right now. The simple version is this: there was a battle."

Roxas immediately tensed, having a sinking feeling of where this was going. "A battle?"

Ven nodded slowly. "Yeah. I was there, along with my friends, Terra and Aqua. We fought against…an old master and his…apprentice." He shrugged. "Each of us met a different fate."

"And yours?"

"…When Sora was first born, my heart had been fractured. His new heart found my broken one and repaired it. Four years later, my heart was once again - ah - hurt, and left my body. Because Sora connected to me when he was born, my heart found his way to his."

Roxas's eyes widened, already knowing where this was going. He took a few steps backwards. "But-"

"Sora allowed me to stay with him," Ven went on, ignoring Roxas's words. "I can visit different Stations connected to him, but mostly, I stay within one."

"Which is?" Roxas asked, clenching his fists.

He didn't get an answer, though. At that moment, Ven's helmet appeared under his arm, and suddenly Xion was there with them. "Roxas! Ven!" she exclaimed, taking a few hesitant steps towards them.

Roxas turned a glare on Ven. "I take it we're in the other Station now?"

"Roxas, don't be mad at him," Xion said, trying to cool the temper she could tell was rising.

"Don't be mad?" Roxas spat in dismay. "Don't be _mad_? How can I not be? Everything I am was taken from someone else. But, as usual, someone forgot to inform _me_."

"You're a Nobody, that's your fate," Xion replied. "At least you're not a puppet."

"I generally feel like one," he murmured in response, clenching his fists.

"You're a Nobody who has emotions!" Xion cried. "How can you be upset about that?"

"And are they his fault, too?" Roxas hissed, jabbing a finger in Ven's direction. "Face it, Xion, whatever I have that I thought was mine was never really mine to begin with." He clenched his fists, closing his eyes tight.

"That's not true!" Xion barked, and he heard an edge to her voice. "In a lot of ways, yes, you are a combination of many different people, but that combination helps to make you yourself. It makes you unique. And maybe some of your memories aren't yours, and maybe some of your friends have been taken away, but some _are_ yours and some _are_ still with you." Roxas allowed himself to look up and meet her gaze.

Ven gave a small cough. "Not to interrupt," he said, looking insanely awkward, "but didn't you have some other questions you wanted answered?"

"Why didn't you have a voice before?" Roxas growled immediately.

"I think it has something to do with you realizing I was there," Ven commented with a shrug.

"And the guidance?"

"Well, that part…I don't really know."

"I think that we were able to do it because we were both connected to you," Xion replied.

"If it helps, I contacted Sora, too," Ven added. "They tried to break out of Time Castle, and it…didn't end well."

"What?" Roxas yelped.

"That's why I wanted to help so bad."

Roxas's anger was slowly beginning to ebb to be replaced by sad acceptance. "I guess I can understand. But what I don't get is you, Xion."

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You've been acting weird lately." He fixed her with his sad blue eyes. "What's going on?"

She looked like she was going to try and come up with some sort of story that contradicted his words, but when she met his gaze, it seemed as if the words died in her throat. "I had a vision," she began hesitantly.

"A vision?" Roxas prompted quietly.

"In it, I saw you…killing Zylen." As Roxas's eyes grew wider, she looked away. "You'd been lost to the darkness."

"Why do you think that was a vision?" he asked, clenching his fists tighter.

"I know it!" she replied, looking up again with the faintest traces of tears on the corners of her eyes. "Roxas, that was your future."

"You don't know that!" Roxas snapped. "Why would I do something like that?" He suddenly felt very cold. "Don't you trust me?"

"Roxas…"

"No," he said, shaking his head and trying to control the mingled 'feelings' that he couldn't even begin to identify. He took a few steps backwards as the Station of Awakening began to disappear. Just before he left, he could see that the three figures on the stained glass floor were him, Sora, and Ven. It meant he was finally nearing the end of his true Awakening.

The realization was bittersweet.

"**Roxas!"** The Nobody awoke to find his clothes back to normal and five faces peering down at him.

"How'd I end up on the ground?" he asked, pushing himself up.

"You fell when your helmet disappeared," Pence replied.

"So, what happened?" Hayner asked.

"I was talking to Xion and Ven," he informed them.

"Who?"

"Never mind. They're not people you'd know."

"Wait, Ven? You mean _my uncle, _Ven?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh, cool, so that's how you did all that awesome stuff!"

"Ok, so we solved that mystery," Angel sighed, "but we still need to get back to Time Castle."

"I bet Lea has one of those crystals," Shadow said with a sly grin.

"He's gone now, in case you haven't noticed," Angel hissed in response.

"But he _can_ be found." From the pocket in her shorts she pulled out a small gray machine. "Tah-dah!"

"Wait…is that part of one of the tracking devices we saw on Syndrome's Island?" Angel asked, blinking his eyes in surprise.

"Uh-huh," Shadow replied, nodding vigorously. "I put the tracking part on Lea while we were fighting."

"I never thought I'd say this, but…great idea, Shadow."

"What the heck are you guys talking about?" Hayner asked in frustration.

"Just some places we've been in the past," Roxas informed him, "and some places we have to go in the future." The thought of 'future' brought to mind what Xion had told him, and he closed his eyes briefly. Immediately, however, a different, older prophecy echoed in his mind:

The gate can only be closed by entering and becoming the sacrifice, the noble only saved by the hands of time.

_No. I make my own future._

"Anything we can do to help?"

His eyes snapped open as he turned them towards the Twilight Town gang. "Right now, the best thing is just to make sure nothing bad happens here."

"Sure," Pence replied.

"Seems like you're just giving us something to keep us occupied," Hayner commented, though he didn't seem too put off by it.

"Are you guys leaving?" Olette added.

"We have to," Roxas replied.

He let Angel and Shadow walk ahead of him as they went back through the streets of Twilight Town. Slowly, Roxas pulled Xion's seashell out of his pocket. _My friends and my memories are my own, huh?_ He rubbed his thumb across the surface of the shell, the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips. Then he returned the shell to his pocket.

"**So** that's what you've been so paranoid about."

Xion turned to look at Ven, who now had his helmet on once more. "Yeah."

"You can't blame him for being upset," Ven informed her, and edge to his voice. "One of my best friends was driven closer to darkness because he thought me and Aqua didn't trust him."

"I know I need to trust him," Xion replied, "but…what I saw…it was so vivid." She shivered. "That smirk…"

Ven suddenly froze. "Smirk?"

Xion looked at him curiously. "Yes. He had a dark, creepy smirk when he killed Zylen."

Suddenly Ven's hands were gripping her shoulders. "What color were his eyes?" "What?" she exclaimed, wondering at the out of the blue question.

"What color were his eyes?"

She frowned, opening her mouth to reply that his eyes were blue, but hesitated. Now that she thought about it, they looked more like…

**Slowly, **a pair of yellow eyes opened, in a place that was not reality, and yet not where their owner was supposed to be. "Now, then," their owner purred, "what has my lesser half been up to?"

_That's the end of chapter fifty - nine. Review, please?_


	60. Homecoming

_Chapter sixty is up. Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, kingdomdisney, caitlinkeitorin, PhantomGirl12, ozsanlol, Kamen Rider Kurai, Flightfoot, Arcia1612, and Confizzledworld for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Sixty: Homecoming**

"Where to first, Shadow?" Roxas asked as the Gummi ship rocketed through space. His voice sounded odd, even to himself.

"Hmm," Shadow murmured, either not noticing or simply choosing to ignore it. "Hey!"

"Hey?" Angel prompted.

"He's on Cyrom!" she exclaimed, practically jumping out of her seat.

"Cyrom?" Angel asked in surprise as Roxas maneuvered the ship towards the world. "Why would he go there?"

"Maybe the Burned City?" Shadow suggested.

"Well, whatever the reason, we'll soon find out," Roxas replied quietly.

Roxas…

He pushed Xion's voice out of his mind, focusing instead on the world coming up before them. As the Gummi ship entered its atmosphere and neared the ground, he pulled it up, allowing it to hover a bit before landing on the ground.

Not surprisingly, Shadow was the first out of the ship. However, this time she stopped abruptly just outside the door, causing Angel to nearly run into her. "Shadow!" he exclaimed.

She didn't seem to hear him. "Home," she murmured.

"Something wrong?" Roxas asked as he stopped behind the two.

"Ask her," Angel sighed in exasperation, slipping around the girl.

"No, nothing's wrong!" Shadow exclaimed quickly, and ran off ahead of Angel once more.

Roxas couldn't help but notice that her attitude now seemed forced. He couldn't help but think of his own 'homecoming', even though he hadn't technically lived in Twilight Town. Maybe she was worried about her family, and how they'd react if they saw her.

Or if Lea found them.

His gaze hardened, and her hurried to catch up to his friends.

"Shadow, are you even paying attention to that thing?" Angel asked when Roxas had caught up to them.

"What thing?" she asked.

"The _tracking device,_" Angel hissed.

"Oh." The brown haired girl skidded to a halt, looking down at the gray machine. "Oops. I forgot about that."

Angel through his hands in the air, crying, "How the hell do you forget about something like that? This is important!"

"I know…"

"Easy," Roxas told the former Time Racer, before turning his gaze to Shadow, who was uncharacteristically quiet. "You worried about your family?"

She blinked in surprise, then gave him a smile. The sad grin seemed out of place, in stark contrast to her normal, cheeky one. "I guess I am. I mean, what are they going to say? I left without much goodbye."

"That's just who you are, though," Angel said, no longer seeming angry.

"I know, but…" she trailed off, but soon started again. "And what if Lea's found them?"

"Then we'll fight him," Roxas replied firmly. "We won't let him harm them."

Shadow's grin turned from sad to her normal, happy one. "Ok!" she cried, heading off.

"Didn't take her long," Angel commented dryly. Roxas nodded, and the two followed after their female friend.

Shadow still moved quickly, though this time she kept an eye on the tracking device. "I think he's close," she informed them after a while.

That's when they heard the voice. "Who are you?"

"That's Yuruo!" Shadow exclaimed, head shooting up.

"No one to concern yourself with," another, more familiar voice replied.

"Lea," Roxas hissed through gritted teeth. He started forward, but Shadow was already going, pulling her claw gauntlets on.

She turned around a pillar of rocks, and Roxas skidded around them just in time to see her deflect one of Lea's Chakrams with her claws. "Leave my brother alone!" she cried.

"Sh-Shadow!" Yuruo exclaimed, looking at his younger sister with wide eyes.

Lea's eyes had widened, as well. "How'd you find me?"

"Um…" Shadow trailed off, slowly hiding the tracking device behind her back.

"That's for us to know, and you to wonder," Angel hissed, summoning his daggers.

As Roxas summoned his Keyblade, Lea looked nervously between the trio. The Nobody could easily see how worn the dark man was from their fight in Twilight Town. Then again, he was, too. _But we need to stop him before it's too late, _he reminded himself. _There's no time for resting._ He launched himself forward, brandishing his Keyblade. He swung quickly, aiming for the dark man's stomach. Lea just managed to block the strike with one of his Chakrams. He drew his Keyblade back quickly and swung again, this time hitting the dark man in the chest and sending him flying backwards.

Lea glared at him, raising himself up to send a his Chakrams flying quickly towards his opponents. Shadow deflected one, while Roxas hooked the teeth of his Keyblade in the other, using the disk-like weapon's own momentum to spin it around and send it flying back towards its owner. It just barely missed, digging deep in the dirt.

The emerald-eyed man's eyes glimmered with fear. He quickly reached behind him and pulled the Chakram free of the ground. He was able to get it up just in time to block Roxas's blow. As the Nobody forced down on his opponent's weapon, Lea's eyes slid sideways. Then they flicked back towards him, filled with darkness. He pulled back slightly and threw his Chakram at Roxas. He deflected the flying weapon easily, but the distraction had given Lea time to form a relatively large sized ball of dark fire in his hand. Roxas braced himself for the blow, but was surprised when Lea threw it not at him, but at…

"Angel!" Shadow cried in alarm.

Roxas whipped around, just in time to see the ball of dark fire nearly hit the metal-haired boy. His eyes widened when he saw that it been stopped by a body. "No!" he cried as Shadow fell to the ground.

Angel looked stunned. "Shadow…"

Roxas whipped around to glare at Lea. _Make him pay,_ a dark voice hissed in the back of his mind. _Make him pay for hurting them. Make him suffer!_ A battle cry ripped from his lips, and he launched himself forward, swinging his Keyblade furiously. However, he was too late, Lea disappearing into a Corridor of Darkness before he could land another blow.

The Nobody let his Keyblade disappear, the fire in his eyes dying as he turned to look back and where Angel and Shadow were. He walked over to them, Shadow's brother, Yuruo, doing the same.

The former Time Racer was holding the limp form of the girl in his arms. "She shouldn't have jumped in front of me," he murmured distantly.

"She's always had a habit of doing things without thinking," Yuruo murmured.

"I was a coward," Angel hissed, his grip on the girl tightening. "I should have escaped. Then she wouldn't have been hurt!"

Roxas wasn't going to ask why he didn't. Instead, he told him, "She's not dead yet. Come on, let's get her some help."

"We'll take her back home," Yuruo replied.

Angel looked up, his face looking like his emotions were tightly under control, and nodded. He stood, he and Roxas following Yuruo. He never once let go of the brown haired girl.

**Angel **looked out the window of the house into the starlit night. He, Roxas, and Yuruo had met Shadow's younger brother, Tourin, at the door, whose eyes had widened at the limp form of his sister and run to tell his parents. Roxas had explained to them about what had happened and the effects of the dark fire. Shadow's mother had assured them that she could heal the ill effects, though the girl would need to rest a while.

His brown eyes strayed across the room to the girl resting in the bed. _This is why I shouldn't get close to people,_ he thought in frustration. _They always get hurt._

He whipped his head around as he heard the creak of the door, his muscles tensing and his eyes hardening into a glare. He relaxed when he saw it was Roxas. "How is she?" the Nobody whispered, slipping across the room.

"Alright, so it seems," Angel hissed back. "Where'd you disappear to?"

"To get this," Roxas replied, pulling the gray tracking device out of his pocket. "Shadow dropped it."

_When she protected me,_ Angel finished silently, gaze hardening. "You know, you don't have to stand way over here," Roxas informed him, slipping the device back into his pocket. "She can't annoy you in her sleep."

"I know," he growled.

Roxas snorted. "The past can't be changed," he whispered, "but the future still can. Learn from the past, but don't live in it. That road only brings destruction." Angel blinked in surprise as he watched the Nobody leave the room. He couldn't help feeling a sense of respect for him.

He turned his eyes back to Shadow, and, slowly, walked across the room. He stood beside her bed and absently brushed a strand of hair out of her face. His mind flashed with the image of a limp Sira in his arms, and he cringed. "Why'd you do it?" he whispered.

"Well, that's easy," a hoarse voice replied. His eyes blinked in surprise as a pair of gray ones flickered open. "You're my best friend."

He swallowed hard. "Shadow…"

"Besides, I had to have someone to annoy. It'd be boring otherwise."

He surprised both of them by laughing. "Same old Shadow."

He turned to leave, but hesitated as he heard her voice. "Um, Angel? Could you stay?" She looked sheepish, and added quickly, "Just so I don't get bored."

"You're supposed to be sleeping," he informed her dryly, but walked back to her bed and kneeled beside it, anyways.

**Roxas** listened to the exchange silently outside the room. A small smile tugged at his lips, and he pulled the seashell out of his pocket once more. As he looked at the item in his hand, however, he felt the memory of what had happened in Twilight Town resurface. His eyes grew shadowed, and the same dark voice from before whispered, _She betrayed you. Crush it. Make her feel what you felt._

He shook his head, taking a shuddering breath. _There's no point to it,_ he thought, and returned the shell to his pocket.

**The **Phoenix searched the world he was currently on, feeling a growing sense of urgency. He'd been brought back for one purpose, and for one purpose only. He had to defeat the one he was called back to defeat. So why the growing sense of urgency? Simple.

His target was moving.

The one he had to destroy was up to something, something that couldn't be good, and would only lead to darkness in the end. He could feel it, deep inside him. He gritted his teeth. _Where are you?_ He searched frantically, wondering if he'd ever manage to find the other, and fearing what would happen when he finally did.

He could feel the battle coming like the pulse of a storm waiting to unleash its power. And, with it, he feared that he could see his own end.

_There's the end of chapter sixty. Reviews are always welcome!_


	61. Tracked

_This is chapter sixty - one. Thanks go to PhantomGirl12, Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, NumberXIII, thelionheartedgirl, SkyWarrior2, kingdomdisney, and Confizzledworld for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Sixty - One: Tracked**

Lea was shaking when he emerged from the Corridor of Darkness. _How did they find me so quickly?_ he wondered as he leaned back against a tree. His mind flew back to the item Shadow had hidden behind her back. _What did she have?_

He looked up into the sky. "Doesn't matter," he growled. "They probably won't find me again too soon. By that time I'll have my energy back." _I'll need it if I'm going to go back to Time Castle._ He couldn't imagine Zylen would be happy to see him. "But with Kingdom Hearts, he'll be able to complete his portal quicker than if he tried to use the Keybladers," he argued to himself.

Then again, Zylen wasn't a very forgiving person. He grimaced as he remembered what the leader of the Time Racers had told him about what he'd done to Angel when the former Time Racer had tried to disband them. Not only had Zylen himself cut him off, but he'd revealed some major secrets to Roxas…

He shook his head. It didn't matter; none of it did. All he knew was that without the Time Racers, he'd be dead before long. Besides, there were other things he wanted to take care of. "If I could go back," he whispered. He thought of that day, the one that seemed so far off, where the Heartless had stolen his heart, and all the horrors he'd endured while he was one of them. "If I could go back, I could save myself." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Life would be so much better if I'd never gone through that."

It all seemed so simple back then. Now it was so much more difficult to rise from the ashes…

**Roxas **lifted his head as light spilled into the room through the window. He'd been awake for a while now; in fact, he'd hardly slept at all. As soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was plagued with dreams of Xion and Ventus, and of a mysterious hall of mirrors.

While he was awake, he'd thought about what to do with Lea and the Time Racers. _He's still in the same area,_ he thought as he looked at the tracking device for the umpteenth time, _but by now he's probably recovered some of his energy._ He closed his eyes. _We'll need to act fast to make sure we can get the crystal from him before its costs too much._

His eyes opened again as he heard Shadow's voice. "Alright, so when do we go get Lea?"

Angel's came next. "You just got healed!"

He could almost see the brown haired girl shrugging. "So? I feel fine now."

"But you could have _died_!"

"…And your point is?" Roxas laughed quietly to himself as Angel growled. "Hey, where's the tracking device?"

"Here," Roxas replied, leaving the room he was in to stand in the hallway with his two companions. He held up the tracking device. "Lea hasn't left the new world he's on."

"Sweet," Shadow said with a grin.

"You're leaving already?" the voice of Shadow's mother asked. She appeared from down the hallway, eyes shadowed with worry.

The brown haired girl nodded. "We have to stop the bad guys." Angel rolled his eyes, though the brown orbs glowed with the same worry the girl's mother's held.

The woman chewed her lip, but gave a quick nod. "Just…be careful."

"Of course!" Shadow chirped. Her voice and expression were as cheery as ever, but her eyes held a flicker of sadness. _I'm not surprised._

It wasn't long before the trio were on the Gummi ship hurtling through space once more. Roxas checked the tracking device to make sure they were going the right way, then looking up ahead. "It's another familiar world," he commented.

"Which one?" Shadow asked, peering out the window.

"Nottingham," the Nobody replied as they neared the world. When the Gummi ship came near the ground, he pulled it up so that it hovered a bit before touching down.

Shadow jumped out with a grin. "Good not to wear those masks this time."

"And whose fault was that?" Angel sighed. She just flashed him her signature grin.

Roxas came out more slowly, his eyes locked on the tracking device and his mind firmly focused on the task ahead. "He's this way," he informed his friends, leading them off into the woods. The two exchanged glances at his abrupt tone, but followed him off through the trees.

It wasn't long before he was able to put the tracking device away and summon his Keyblade. He slammed into the shadowed form of Lea just as the dark man was turning around to look at him, eyes growing wide. He sent him flying with a single strike of his Keyblade. Lea looked up from his position on the ground. "But…how?"

"Isn't Shadow the one who's supposed to dash off impulsively?" Angel asked as he and the aforementioned girl came skidding up behind him.

Lea quickly got back to his feet, summoning his Chakrams. "You got lucky," he growled, lunging towards the Nobody. He caught the blades of his opponent's weapons with his Keyblade and managed to push both weapons and owner aside. Lea glared at him, and quickly fired a ball of dark fire.

Ven's voice echoed through his head before he had time to do anything about the magic:

Roxas, you need to listen-

_Leave me alone!_ he hissed, breaking through a barrier deep inside him as he did. Light flared around him, and he fired a sphere of light to counteract the dark fire as soon as it faded to reveal Aura form. The two magic attacks collided and offset each other, sending small bursts of light and darkness flying to frame the two before they flickered away into oblivion.

Lea was looking nervous once more. The length of time he'd had reprieve wasn't enough for him to recover fully, and now he had to not only fight three opponents, but also face Roxas in one of his forms. "No need to get myself killed," he growled. He raised his hands, and immediately Nobodies swarmed around him and the trio.

_Don't let him get away!_ the dark voice in the back of Roxas's mind hissed as darkness began to swirl up around Lea. At almost the same instant, Xion cried:

Roxas, you need to hear us!

"No!" he cried aloud out of sheer frustration, lunging forward to try and strike Lea before he could escape, not noticing a few chips appearing in his armor. However, all his weapon slashed through was darkness. He clenched his fists. _He got away again._

Of course, though, that wasn't the end of their problems. He turned to face the Nobodies that the dark man had spawned. He raised his Keyblade and fired a sphere of light at one, the magic causing it to fly back. He lunged forward to impale it with the tip of his weapon.

_That's it. Show them no mercy._ This voice the Nobody headed, spinning around and firing another sphere of light at an incoming Nobody. The attack burst through the Dusk, though it seemed to take some effort. The X that that stretched across his chest seemed to grow dull.

He hardly noticed Shadow and Angel fighting alongside him as he struck down his enemies. Several Dancers swirled around him, trying to land their own hits. He let out a battle cry and struck at them, his blade pounding against them mercilessly. One struck him from behind, and, gritting his teeth, he spun around and hit it with his weapon. From its tip he then fired a sphere of light, which managed to blast through his opponent and cause the Dancer to fade away into oblivion.

He spun quickly in a circle, firing orbs of light out rapidly as he did. "Roxas, watch it!" Shadow exclaimed in alarm.

He hesitated, cracks appearing along the armored X. _What am I doing? I could've hurt them._

_What does it matter?_ that quiet, dark voice hissed again. _The Nobodies need to be destroyed. After all, they'll do greater harm to them, won't they?_

_I guess,_ he conceded, feeling silly for arguing with a voice that was probably just own.

_So what are a few wounds here and there._

"But…" he looked up to the sky, his Keyblade lowering as Nobodies crept closer towards him. "What good am I if I can't protect them?"

Then the Nobodies lunged. "Roxas!" Shadow and Angel cried in alarm as the nothings fell on top of him. He let out a cry of surprise, his form blinking out in a surprisingly dull burst of light. He batted at them with his Keyblade, though he knew that, at the moment, it was a losing battle.

Then one suddenly fell off, an arrow impaling it. Then two more, allowing the blond Nobody to break free. "You look like you needed some help," a familiar voice called from the trees.

"Robin?" he asked.

"And Little John," another voice added, as the bear barreled out of the trees to attack the Nobodies. Roxas blinked once as he saw Little John, glanced back up into the trees and caught a glimpse of the archer fox, then turned his gaze back to the Nobodies that surrounded him. He struck out with his Keyblade, batting away one of the Dancers. He spun around in a tight circle, forcing and encroaching ring of Nobodies back. Arrows rained around him, felling enemies as sure as his Keyblade. The rapid strikes of claws and daggers and the sound of Little John's fists added to the staccato of battle. Roxas's mind, however, was hardly on the fight.

He hardly realized when the battle ended. He was still tensed when Shadow said, "Geez, calm down, Roxas!"

He blinked once in surprise, then dismissed his Keyblade. "Sorry," he murmured.

"You Ok?" Shadow asked.

"You seem a little…off," Angel commented.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm…fine." _Lie._

"Well, what are you guys doing back in Nottingham?" Robin asked as he jumped down from the trees.

"We followed someone here," Shadow informed him.

"Really?" the fox asked in surprise. "Friendly?"

"Nope."

"Is he still here?"

"He already left," Angel replied. "Which means we should probably go after him." Two pairs of eyes, one brown and one gray, turned to look at the golden haired Nobody they'd come to see as their leader.

Roxas, however, was thinking about what he'd acted like in the battle, and what had been happening to Aura form. _What's wrong with me?_

"**You're** tough, Roxas, I'll give you that." The yellow eyes of the dark voice glistened with amusement and frustration in equal amounts. "You can take down a swarm of Nobodies, but, more impressive, you can resist me." His lips twisted into a frown. "Even that fool Ventus had trouble doing that."

He found himself pacing. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten to this place, inside of a Nobody whose appearance was uncannily like his other half's. However, it didn't matter much to him. Even if he weren't free to move about in his own body, he could still use this one. Except…

"For a Nobody, you have an annoyingly high amount of light inside you," he growled. His current host had succumbed partially to him in the battle. Perhaps he'd pushed it too much, and that's what had caused him to bulk instead of yield. He sneered into space. "It's always about your friends," he hissed. "Not all that different from Ventus, are you?"

Come to think of it, he thought he could even _feel_ his other half's presence. But…no, that was impossible.

He laughed, the wicked sound caring through empty space. "No matter," he growled, slipping a helmet on over his head. "I'll soon be free once more."

And with that, Vanitas prepared to turn his new host to darkness.

_That's the end of chapter sixty - one. Review, please?_


	62. Broken Connection

_Merry Christmas, everyone! Thank you Flightfoot, caitlinkeitorin, kingdomdisney, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, SkyWarrior2, NumberXIII, a reader of KH and SH fanfics, and CatchingForRain for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Sixty - Two: Broken Connection**

"He's still not listening," Xion muttered, after trying and failing - again - to contact Roxas.

"He needs to," Ven replied, pacing nervously around the Station of Awakening.

"I guess…he's still mad at us," Xion offered him, wondering if she could convince him to calm down.

"Yeah, well, that doesn't help much." He spun on his heel, striding back the opposite way he'd come.

Xion's eyes grew shadowed as she watched her friend continue his anxious pacing. "Are you sure about this?"

Ven nodded his armored head as he spun around and went back the opposite way. "I can feel Vanitas's absence. And if your vision was true, then I can't really see any other explanation." The sound of his metal boots clinking on the stained glass floor echoed through the space. "Gah! Why did I try to step in?"

"You did help him," she soothed.

"But at what price?" He finally stopped, spinning around to face her. "It may be to steep for him to pay."

She had no reply to that; she'd long been afraid of the same thing. "I'm going to try and contact him again." She closed her eyes, trying to reach out for Roxas's familiar presence.

This time, however, there was a dark, unexpected resistance to her attempt. "What?" she yelped as the force shoved her back.

"Xion? What's wrong?" Ven asked.

"Something's blocking me."

"What?" Ven was silent a few moments, in which Xion knew he, too, was trying to connect to Roxas, before he growled, "Vanitas."

"He's blocking us?" Xion exclaimed in surprise.

"He's managed to take up residence inside him," Ven murmured, frustration lacing his tone. "That means I'm blocked out of his Station. And, if I know Vanitas, he's going to try and take control."

"Roxas…" Xion murmured. Her eyes grew shadowed, but she quickly shook her head to try and prevent her worry for her friend from overwhelming her. She looked at Ven. "Is there anything you can do?"

The armored boy was silent a few moments before he suddenly disappeared. Xion was used to his sudden disappearances; however, what she was not used to was him suddenly returning. "No! He's completely blocked me!"

"So, what now?"

"Just keep trying to reach Roxas," Ven replied, his voice tight. "And pray that he doesn't succumb to Vanitas. It's all we can do."

Neither had ever felt so helpless.

**After **the trio had said goodbye to Robin and Little John, they returned to the Gummi ship and flew once again into space. "Where to now?" Angel asked.

"Looks like Halloween Town," Roxas replied distractedly.

"Sweet! I get to use more of this!" Shadow exclaimed, holding up the bottle of magic she'd gotten from Merlin.

"You're a bit too enthusiastic about this," Angel sighed. She just grinned.

"We're here," Roxas informed them as he began a descent towards the world. Shadow opened the bottle and let the magic flow around them. When Roxas landed the Gummi ship and they stepped out, they were once again in their Halloween Town forms. Roxas lifted the tracking device, eyeing it a few moments before heading off in the general direction of where it showed Lea to be.

"Seriously, Roxas, what's wrong?" Shadow asked, hurrying to catch up with him.

"Nothing," he replied, his mind hardly registering her concern. Some niggling part of him argued that point, but he ignored it. Instead, he simply continued forward, saying, "We just need to find Lea."

However, their search for him would be postponed for a while. As they entered the main area of Halloween Town, shadows sprung up around them, taking shape and form to reveal the monsters the trio was all too familiar with. "Heartless," Angel hissed, summoning his daggers.

_Take them out, _that dark voice in the back of his mind hissed again. Roxas found himself nodding as he summoned his Keyblade. Then he lunged forward, the metal of his blade cutting through a few Heartless with one powerful strike. He spun around to catch another on his blade, flinging it away. He sidestepped away from a lunging Neoshadow, stabbing the tip of his Keyblade down through its back.

Suddenly he felt something grab him from behind, and begin pulling him up. Pain started lancing through him. _Hover Ghost, _he thought in frustration. He struggled against the Heartless's hold, but to no avail. He was at its mercy until it dropped him to the ground…right into the waiting arms of another Hover Ghost. He gritted his teeth against a cry of pain.

_Use one of your forms, _the dark voice hissed again.

This time he felt himself resisting the words of the dark voice. _But…they don't always work…and last time…_

_Just do it!_

The pain the Hover Ghost was inflicting on him was enough to convince him to try. He reached deep inside himself, forcing with all his might against the barrier that separated him from his forms. It shattered under his force, and light flared around him. As the light faded, he wasted no time in calling up the rings of light, forcing the Hover Ghost to let go of him.

As he landed, he noticed that Guardian form had taken a different appearance because of his Halloween form. The markings on his pants were different, and now colored yellow. He retained the large metal X across his chest, though now from it ran golden chains down his arms.

He called up the rings of light once more to block the attack of an oncoming Hover Ghost. _That's it,_ the dark voice purred as he slashed his blade across the Heartless. He found himself flipping the Keyblade into a reverse grip as he brought the Keyblade up. _No! Don't do that!_ the dark voice growled furiously.

_What?_ he yelped silently, hesitating. This gave the wounded Hover Ghost time to teleport behind him and grab him, carrying him up into the air while its poison did continuous damage to him. Frustration lancing through him, he called up the rings of light to force it off of him. The technique may have been more defensive than offensive, but it was enough to destroy the Hover Ghost.

As he landed, he couldn't help but wonder what was going, and why that dark voice kept whispering things into his mind. _I'm used to Ventus and Xion telling me things, _he thought, _but…is there a third?_ He couldn't help but feeling a little bitter. _Something else they forgot to tell me?_ He didn't notice the small chips that flicked off the armored X.

He raised his Keyblade to block a Neoshadow that was jumping for him. He felt himself fall into the familiar rhythm of battle, twirling through the shadows like a maniac, hacking and slashing with his weapon until his opponents fell, blocking their attacks with his rings of light. The golden colors of Guardian form grew dull.

As he felled another Heartless, darkness swirling into the air and little drops of black blood falling to the ground, he looked around, searching for more enemies to fight. "Um, Roxas?"

The Nobody swing around to see his two friends looking at him with similar wary expressions. "There are no more, Roxas," Angel said carefully.

He nodded, dismissing his Keyblade. "Then let's go." He spun on his heel and headed back in the direction of where the tracking device showed Lea to be. As he walked, however, he felt as if he were in a haze. He could tell something was wrong, but his thoughts were too foggy for him to figure out what it was.

The tracking device eventually lead them to the door that would open into Christmas Town. "Wait, he's in there?" Shadow exclaimed.

"I'd guess he's just looking for anywhere he could hide," Angel commented dryly. Roxas didn't say anything, simply reached out a hand and opened the door, allowing the trio to step through the portal. When they stepped into the snow, Shadow and Angel began to head towards the main area of the town. Roxas, however, hesitated, looking at the white substance beneath his feet. _Pure,_ he thought, bending down and picking up a handful of the cold, wet substance. He stared at it a few moments, his eyes growing cloudy, before glancing at his broken armor. He let the snow fall out of his hand, almost running it across the whiteness. Then he shook his head, standing, and followed his friend's footprints.

He found them waiting for him a little way down the hill. "Dude, you're slow," Shadow said with her usual cheeky grin.

Roxas tried to grin back, but his knew it looked fake. He felt…empty. Even when he was with the Organization, he hadn't felt like this; cold, as if there really was nothing inside him. _Is this…how I'm supposed to feel?_ he wondered. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and walked past the two, heading once more towards the main area of Christmas Town.

When the trio reached it, they saw an interesting sight. "I just need somewhere to hide out, old man," Lea was growling, looking at the form of Santa Claus.

"I'm afraid I can't help you, Lea," Santa replied. "You've gone too far down the path of darkness."

"You…!"

"Leave Sandy alone," Jack interrupted. "He has lots of work to do, you know."

Lea glared at the Pumpkin King. "I don't have time for you two!" Lea hissed, summoning his Chakrams.

Roxas instantly summoned his Keyblade and threw it at the dark man before he could do anything. The weapon hit him in the side and sent him sprawling through the snow. As the Nobody recalled the Kingdom Key, Jack turned to look at the approaching trio. "Roxas! Shadow! Angel!"

"Well, it's good to see you three again," Santa commented.

Lea looked up from where he was in the snow, angry emerald eyes narrowing in frustration. "You," he hissed. "How do you keep finding me?"

"Why should we tell you?" Roxas hissed, slipping the tracking device away.

"You're really beginning to annoy me." With that, he sprang to his feet and lunged at Roxas. The Nobody blocked his strike with his Keyblade, and forced the dark man backwards once more.

He was about to strike him again, but hesitated on his downward arc. As his Keyblade stilled in midair, he found himself thinking about the snow and the comparison of its purity to his broken form. _What are you doing?_ the dark voice hissed in the back of his mind once more. _Attack him!_

"A guardian is supposed to protect," he murmured absently, hardly aware that he'd said the words.

_What?_ the voice snarled. _Don't you remember what he's done? Destroy him!_ He felt the haze grow thicker, and he almost thought he could feel a second presence forcing its will upon his own.

Something inside him, however, told him to force back against it. He listened to whatever it was, forcing back against the dark voice. _A guardian protects, _he whispered again, finding himself withdrawing Guardian form back inside him.

_No!_ the dark voice shouted. Roxas, however, felt his mind clear a bit, a spark of light flickering in the fog that was trying to overwhelm him.

Lea glared at him, then jumped back into a Corridor of Darkness.

"Um, Roxas, what's going on?" Shadow asked.

The Nobody looked back at her. "I let you know when I find out," he replied grimly, feeling more like himself than he had in what seemed like a long time now.

"It'll be dark soon," Santa told them, looking to the sky. "Why don't you three stay with me for the night?"

"Sweet!" Shadow exclaimed.

Angel rolled his eyes.

Roxas, forcing back the echoes of the dark voice, managed a smile.

_And that's the end of chapter sixty - two. Reviews are appreciated! _


	63. Empty Memories

_Happy New Year! Thank you caitlinkeitorin, kingdomdisney, Flightfoot, PhantomGirl12, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Kamen Rider Kurai, and NumberXIII for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Sixty - Three: Empty Memories**

Zylen sat in silence. He was in the room most of the other Time Racers had dubbed his 'office', though he didn't really care much about this term. He looked down at the desk he sat at, his eyes not really seeing, his mind instead turning over the recent events.

The other Time Racers had become much more subdued since Sora, Riku, and Kairi's escape attempt. The lesser ones, as he saw them, he hardly saw anymore; he could only catch glimpses of them before they cowered into the shadows. He knew he could simply order them to come, and they would, out of fear, if nothing else. At one time, he was confident their fear of him would keep them united. Now he was beginning to wonder.

They didn't concern him, however; no, Hilran and Domian were the two that troubled him. They didn't cower into the shadows at the sight of him, but they did seem to be doing their best to avoid him. Since Kisue ran and set the Keyblader and his companions fear, he'd found himself apprehensive that Hilran and Domian would betray him, too. He looked up at the ceiling, a bitter smile on his face at the irony of the moment. _So this is what betrayal feels like._

And that brought him into a memory; one he'd tried to bury deep into the dregs of his mind. One he'd never wanted to think about again:

_His eyes blinked open. Where was he? "…survived the experiment."_

"_He's the second one…"_

_He blinked rapidly a few times, trying to focus his senses. Who were those voices? He didn't recognize them. And what did they mean by 'second one?'_

"_Well, that means two of that little trio of orphans survived. Who was that other one? Sira, was it?"_

_The voices were coming to him clearer now. _Sira,_ he thought, thinking of his best friend and crush. Unwanted bitterness filled him as he remembered that she had chosen Angel over him. _Stop that,_ he hissed to himself._

_He focused back in when he heard an icy voice reply, "I don't know if she'll make it or not."_

_His blood ran cold. _Sira…could die?_ He shook himself as if that could rid him of the thought. _What are they doing to us?

_His vision came into focus in time for him to see two men carrying out the unconscious form of Angel. One of the men he recognized. _Vexen,_ he thought with anger. Then he shook his head fiercely. _No…remember Sira. Find her and help her._ He felt his entire body protesting as he pushed himself up, turning his head around in search of some sign of his other friend._

_It wasn't hard. She was in a pod, connected to some sort of machine. Looking around, he realized there were many of the same pods, all filled with people. Only two were empty. He looked at Sira, horror spreading across his face as he saw her body convulse and her mouth open in a soundless cry of pain. "Sira!" he tried to cry out, but his voice sound more like a croak. Even that small sound was enough to cause him to start shaking. "Don't worry, Sira. I'll get you out of here. Then the three of us can get leave."_

_The machine before him cast him in heavy shadow, which was a relief; if anyone came in, they wouldn't be able to see him and stop him. However, that didn't mean he was wasting any time. He pressed a large button, hoping it was the one to open her pod. Instead, it appeared to cause sharp electrical pulses to blaze along her body. His eyes widened in fear and surprise, and he quickly pressed the button again, hoping it would stop it. It didn't._

_He was frantic now, pressing buttons randomly as Sira got weaker and weaker from the electricity. She screamed, and he tore his gaze from the device to look at her. "Sira," he whispered, looking at her writhing form. His whole body felt cold. It was horrible, it felt like every jolt of electricity was going through his heart as it went through her body, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. "Sira," he whispered again, tears pricking his eyes._

_Then, inexplicably, mist rose up around him, and he disappeared…into a vision of the past._

Zylen forced the memory out of his mind in of frustration. Like he'd said to Angel, what he'd done to Sira had been a split second decision…but he'd never meant to kill her. He'd wanted to save her. That's why, when Angel had formed the Time Racers, he'd been so eager to join; he wanted to fix his mistakes. He'd been guilty, and filled with grief, and scared and awed at this mysterious new power. If he thought about it, he might have realized these three things eventually led to his corruption. But he never stopped to think much about it.

This power had led him to betray the one he'd once called 'friend.' To tell him a truth that was also a lie. Memories of his former best friend were odd; there was a small bit of regret in remembering the past and the destruction of their friendship, but no more. The same went for most things; all minor casualties on his way to the ultimate power. But what he'd never been able to stop regretting…to stop wishing he could change…was Sira's death at his hands.

"What does it matter?" he hissed to himself. "All my memories are empty."

**The **trio said goodbye toe Santa and Jack and headed, once more, after Lea. "What world next?" Shadow asked Roxas eagerly, who still had the tracking device.

"It looks like he's hiding to Deep Jungle," the Nobody replied, steering the ship in that direction.

As they landed on the world, Shadow, like usual, dashed right out, but skidded to a halt, looking back at her two companions. "Come _on_, Roxas! You have the device!"

"I know," the Nobody replied, walking in front of her.

He let the tracking device lead him towards where Lea was hiding. He was still pushing at the odd fog that was still threatening to overwhelm his mind. That occupied his thoughts until Shadow exclaimed, "There he is!" and dashed forward.

"Shadow, your gauntlets!" Angel exclaimed as the brown haired girl tried to slash through the dark man.

Lea looked at her in surprise as her hand flew past him…without the normal accompaniment of slashing claws. "Oops," she said, looking at her hands before quickly slipping her gauntlets on.

"How do you keep finding me?" Lea spluttered, looking totally baffled at the inexplicable tracking skills.

By now, Roxas had already hidden the tracking device and was dashing forward with his Keyblade. Lea slipped to one side, eyes flashing with fear. Then he smirked. "Fine. You want to fight, Nobody?" He called up his Chakrams, and sent them flying towards his golden haired opponent.

Roxas sent them flying, but was unprepared for the sparks of dark fire that flew of and hit him. He cried out in alarm. _Damn it! You have more power than_ this, the dark voice hissed.

_I know,_ Roxas growled back, and, without really thinking about it, forced through the barrier that separated him from his forms. Light flared, and faded to reveal Sunrise form. Lea sneered at him. "What? Do you need those extra light powers to beat me all the time now?"

"I don't see the point in wasting time." What? Where had that come from? The grooves of light in his armor dulled.

"Finally playing the same game, are we?" he hissed.

Roxas lunged for him, hitting him hard across the chest and sending a shockwave of light racing across him. The dark man flew backwards but recovered quickly, grabbing up his Chakrams from where they lay. Roxas lunged forward again, pounding relentlessly at him, leaving him no time to counterattack, only block. A few small chips sprang off his armor to disappear before they could even hit the ground.

However, his offensive could only last so long before a hole appeared. And when it did, Lea was ready. He shot a ball of dark fire right into the armored X across Roxas's chest as the Nobody pulled his weapon back for a powerful strike. He cried out in alarm and pain as he was sent flying backwards, the dark fire spreading through him like a terrible poison.

_Get up, you idiot._ He obeyed the dark voice, forcing himself up in time to see Shadow and Angel attacking Lea in turn, working together. _They're pathetic,_ the dark voice sneered, disgusted. _You can beat him all on your own._

This brought Roxas up short. Those _couldn't_ be his thoughts…could they? _No._

_What?_ came the outraged growl.

_My friends…they're the ones who give me strength._

_No; friends weaken you._

He felt his own face twist into a sneer. The darkness of the voice was filling him, and he found himself beginning to walk forward. _Good._

He pushed back before the fog inside him could overwhelm him once more, coming to an abrupt halt. _No…I won't!_

_Will!_

He found himself struggling against a dark, powerful will. _Why is it the only voice I hear now is a dark one?_ he wondered. _Where are Ven and Xion?_

_Aren't you mad at them?_ the dark voice growled. _Didn't they betray you?_ Pain lanced through him, and he cried out, falling to his knees and clutching his head in a vain attempt to stop it.

"Roxas!" Shadow and Angel cried in alarm.

"Guess that means I'll take my leave," Lea hissed.

Neither seemed to notice, as they were beside their friend in an instant. "Roxas, what's happening?" Angel asked.

He couldn't answer; he was too busy warring with the will of the dark voice. _Where are they?_ he hissed again.

_Why do you care?_

_Because…they may have lied, but…they didn't mean to hurt me. They're my…friends._

_Who needs friends?_

I _do_, Roxas hissed in response. He could almost feel the power of the hearts of the two friends beside him. _We have more power than you think!_ He released Sunrise form, the battered form bursting away like his others. He felt the dark voice recede to the back of his mind, giving him a bit more clarity.

"Roxas?" Shadow asked hesitantly.

He looked up, eyes shadowed. "Something's wrong."

"Obviously," came Angel's dry response.

He shook his head, distracted. "Xion and Ven…their voices were there before, guiding my. But now…all I hear is darkness." He looked to the sky above the trees. "And I don't understand why."

**Hilran** found herself edgy. She couldn't stop thinking about Kisue's reckless act to leave, and about Zylen's sharp orders and great anger. _Shit._ The Time Racer - or, ex-Time Racer, she supposed now - had caused his share of problems.

It did prove one thing, however; no matter how frightening Zylen could be, he wasn't all-powerful. He'd always relied on fear to keep the other Time Racers in line after he'd betrayed Angel. And there was definitely reason to fear him; he was powerful, and extremely cunning. Just the fact that he'd been able to keep all of them together this long proved that.

But that tight grip of fear was slipping. Or perhaps, for Kisue, it had just been too great, and he'd fled out of cowardice. But it showed that Zylen had no control over them that they didn't give him.

She couldn't help but wonder what Kisue was doing now…or even if he was still alive. Zylen gave an order to kill him, and when Zylen gave an order, you obeyed. And yet…

When had all this started? Hilran frowned, thinking. _When Sora stabbed himself with that key._ After that, everything had slowly begun to fall apart.

"Well, Kisue," she murmured aloud, glancing around, "maybe it's time I follow your example." However, she had no intention of running away just to escape; no, she had much different thoughts on her mind.

Thoughts of blood.

Thoughts of ways to get back at the one destroying everything.

Thoughts of killing Roxas.

With a small, satisfied smirk, she disappeared into a wall of mist.

_And that's the end of chapter sixty - three. Zylen's a bit more human than you thought, isn't he? Please review?_


	64. The Phoenix

_This is chapter sixty - four. I'd say, from here, there are probably about eleven chapters left in the story. So, going along with the 'countdown to the end', I'm going to be posting a poll on my profile every week, with a question dealing with the story. The results of the poll will be posted with the next chapter. This week's poll: Which would you rather be, Time Racer or Keyblader?_

_And thank you to DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Flightfoot, kingdomdisney, silverking32, and The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Sixty - Four: The Phoenix**

Domian craned his neck upwards to look at the captive Keybladers. They were currently in chained to the wall in a large chamber, deeply asleep due to his powerful magic. The stone room in the broken castle was illuminated oddly, the torches around the area casting sharp shadows and highlights.

The Time Racer looked down at his Lexicon, then waved his hand over it and pointed towards the trio. Magic raced from the book towards the Keybladers, engulfing them. They cried out as the magic constricted them, but that wasn't what Domian was trying to do. He sighed, releasing the magic and allowing the captives to fall once more into slumber.

As always, he sent another wave of magic towards them afterwards, the magic making sure they'd loose any memory of what had just happened. If they even released it had happened in their state.

He gritted his teeth in frustration, once more looking through the Lexicon. He had to do what Zylen ordered, or face the consequences. It wasn't just that fear, of course; he wanted that power as badly as anyone. But, as far as he could tell, there were no spells that could pull out the power of another's heart.

"Domian!"

The Time Racer snapped his Lexicon shut and spun around in surprise at the sound of Zylen's voice. "S-sir?" he stammered.

The man's eyes were cold. He swallowed hard, wondering if the leader of the Time Racers was angry at his lack of success. "Where is Hilran?"

He immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. So it wasn't him. "I don't know, sir," he replied, trying not to let his relief show.

Zylen's eyes narrowed, and his fists curled into tight balls. "Some of the others said she disappeared into mist. She hasn't been seen since."

_So Hilran ran away, too._ The thought was there instantly, but Domian couldn't say he was surprised. After Kisue left, Hilran had obviously gotten ideas about taking on the Keyblade Master's Nobody herself. The man's blood ran cold, though, as he saw Zylen's suspicious, piercing glare on him. "Any progress?" he asked.

"No, not yet, sir, but-"

"Redouble your efforts," Zylen barked, causing Domian to start with surprise. He turned around, walking away a few paces before glancing over his shoulder and adding, "Don't even think of double-crossing me, too. I'll personally make sure your punishment is…and apt on."

Fear spiked in the Time Racer's chest. "O-of course, sir." As Zylen left, he quickly flipped his Lexicon back open and began flinging out spells.

**Roxas **was hardly conscious of the journey through space. His mind was instead focused on the task of trying to reach Ven and Xion, without letting the fog of the dark voice stop him. It was a task that took up most of his attention.

Enough so that eventually Angel had to ask, "Roxas, do you know where we're going?"

"Huh?" the Nobody asked, jolted out of his trance.

Angel gave an exasperated sigh. "You're getting as bad as Shadow."

"Hey!" said brown-haired girl exclaimed.

Roxas pulled the tracking device out of his pocket, looking at it briefly before turning the Gummi ship in the direction of the world. "He's on Neverland."

**The **Phoenix could almost feel the presence of his target. It was so powerful that it was guiding him through the worlds all on its own. "So, the time has finally come for our final confrontation," he murmured aloud.

Hello?

He started at the sound of the voice that had first guided him out of the Realm of Darkness. _Something wrong?_ he asked, puzzled.

I need…your help.

The Phoenix gave a silent sigh. _I know, I'm going to-_

That's not what I meant.

Surprised, he traveled through the Lanes Between in silence as he waited for the voice to fill him in.

You're not the only one I've been guiding. Lately, I've been trying to help Roxas on his journey. But I can't reach him anymore.

He blinked once, then frowned. _What happened?_

He…learned about some things that were kept from him. And, I think I infected him.

Infected _him? With what?_

Vanitas.

The Phoenix was silent for a few moments before replying, _I can't really help you with that. Knowing him, he's just mad. He'll cool off._ He quickly cut off the voice's protest, saying, _Trust me, the kid's stronger than he seems._

As the presence of the voice faded away, light flared in front of him.

**Hilran **surveyed the small town shaded in twilight. A few Nobodies hovered nervously behind her. A smirk crept across her lips. "This is perfect. What better than a place he once considered home to take him down?"

Hesitantly, one of the Nobodies spoke up. _Mistress?_

She whirled around to glare at the Nobody. "What?"

Only after the creature showed no signs of fear did she remember that Nobodies were incapable of emotion. _How will he know we're here?_

"Oh, that's taken care of," she replied, the smirk growing. "I made sure 'The Phoenix' saw me and heard my plans before he left."

_How do you know he'll go to where Roxas is?_

"Because I know who he is." Hilran looked up to the sky. "And I think I know why he's here." She glanced at the Nobodies. "Well, then, let's get things started."

**The** Phoenix stepped out of the light onto a sandy beach. He surveyed his surroundings with surprise. "Neverland?" he asked aloud. "This is where I was led to?" He frowned. "Why would…"

As he trailed off, his eyes widened in realization. "He has no set path. He's just trying to escape." He was sure his target hadn't found out he was chasing him. So who else was? The Time Racers? Or Roxas?

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he told himself forcefully. "All that matters is that I complete my mission."

"**Get **away from me!" Lea snarled. The ticking crocodile obviously didn't feel inclined to listen to him. He glared at the reptile in anger, summoning his Chakrams and firing them, covered in dark fire, at the creature. The crocodile hissed in pain and, deciding there was easier prey (such as a one-handed captain he was so found of), swam away.

Lea let his Chakrams fade into darkness as he went around one side of a rock and leaned against it to rest. This was the third day he'd been chased by those brats. He'd barely had any time to recover his strength. He'd thought about going back to Time Castle, but he needed time to recover before he dared face Zylen and his minions. The leader of the Time Racers wasn't going to take kindly to his return, and he wanted to make sure he'd be able to tell him about his plan before he lost the chance.

Besides that fact, however, was how Roxas and his friends kept finding him. He wasn't going in any sort of pattern. He'd thought that by going to random worlds he'd throw them off. Cyrom, he guessed he could understand how they'd found him. That had been a poor choice on his part. Nottingham, not as likely, but not in and of itself outrageous. But to Halloween Town and Deep Jungle, too? That couldn't be just coincidence.

He frowned, thinking. He'd noticed they'd had some device with them, but thought much about it. Now that he recalled it, it almost looked like…

His eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath. A tracking device; that was how they were finding him. He quickly searched his body and clothes, and found a small, electronic device with a blinking red light attached to his shirt under the hood. He pulled it off a tossed it as far as he could. He smirked as he watched it fly. _Let them go on a wild goose chase._

He was just about to leave in a gout of darkness when something slammed into his shoulder.

**Roxas **had been the first to spot Lea, and hadn't hesitated in summoning his Keyblade and throwing it at him before he could exit through a Corridor of Darkness. Lea stumbled, the darkness around him fading, as Roxas called the Kingdom Key back to his hand.

Lea looked up, eyes narrowing in anger and frustration. "Thought you were clever, didn't you? Putting a tracking device on me. Well, it's gone now. You won't be able to chase me further."

"That's fine," Roxas growled as his friends came to stand beside him. "This ends here."

"Yeah. For you." He smirked, before calling up Nobodies around them.

Roxas swung his Keyblade upwards to block the strike of a lunging Dusk. "Shadow! Stop him!" he called as he noticed Lea trying to back away.

"No problem!" she cried, grinning as she dove at him with her claw gauntlets.

_You could do it much easier._

Roxas gritted his teeth against the dark voice's influence. _Shut up._ He brought his Keyblade down in a powerful slash across a Dusk, flipping it into a reverse grip and dragging it upwards along the Dusk's body. The Nobody shriveled and faded away to darkness.

_Why not just end him right now?_

For a moment, he almost listened to the voice. He faltered in battle, looking towards the man warding off Shadows strikes with the metal claws of her weapons. It would be so easy…

Then a Nobody hit him, jarring the fog that was quickly clouding his mind. He almost thought he heard a hiss, but he ignored it, instead lunging forward into another attack against the Nobodies quickly closing on him and Angel.

His head whipped around as he heard a yelp of surprise from Shadow. Two Nobodies were attacking her, and she turned her attention from Lea to them. "Hah! I'm _way_ better than you guys!" she crowed as she attacked the Nobodies.

Meanwhile, Lea was summoning darkness around him. If he escaped now… "No!"

A Chakram flew through the air, hitting Lea and knocking him to the ground. "What the?" Lea asked, glaring at the Chakram. For a moment, Roxas wondered if one of the man's own weapons had come flying back to hit him. However, when he looked more closely, he realized it didn't look like one of Lea's. In fact, it looked more like…

"Hey," a voice said, causing all four to look up. A figure stood upon a tall rock, black against the sun behind him.

"Who are you?" Lea hissed, trying to shield his eyes against the sun's rays.

Roxas stood there, stunned to silence. There was no way, it couldn't be. "Who am I?" the man asked. "Well, let's see; 'a bird that will rise from the ashes of its dying fire, living on for eternity.'"

"The Phoenix?" Lea queried, causing Roxas another jolt of surprise. He'd heard those few tales of the Phoenix, but he hadn't thought…

The man jumped down from the rock, allowing the others to see him clearly. A smirk was on his face. "I'm Axel. I'm your Nobody. Got it memorized?"

_And there's the end of chapter sixty - four. You know that poll I had, way back in the beginning of the story, on whether or not Axel and Lea should meet? Well, that battle's finally here. Review?_


	65. From the Ashes

_Here's chapter sixty - five. …I tried to do a sort of brotherly moment between Axel and Roxas. You'll have to tell me how well I did. Anyway, the winner of last week's poll (Which would you rather be, Time Racer or Keyblader?): Keyblader. This week's poll: Which is your favorite _Guardian Twin _character?_

_Thanks go out to AerethWave, Flightfoot, kingdomdisney, SkyWarrior2, caitlinkeitorin, KanjiKitsune, PhantomGirl12, WinterTurndra, The Infinite Dani - Chan Replika, NumberXIII, YAJJ, Aquamirandallen1, and Axel'sChakrams8 for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Sixty - Five: From the Ashes**

Lea could remember the story of the Phoenix well. He'd heard it years ago, when he was still a teenager; a bird of fire that would rise from the ashes of its death. It had led him to using his signature catch-phrase, 'Got it memorized?', to try and immortalize himself in a different way. Through people's memories, he'd rise from his own ashes.

That view changed when the Heartless came. First his friend, Isa, fell, and then so did he. While his Nobody endured a existence of nothingness apart from him, he was stuck in the form of a Shadow Heartless. At first, he was able to maintain some of his humanity; some of his light. But he'd been trapped as a Heartless for too many years. The darkness of those creatures invaded him and consumed him. He acted on instincts only and fed off of negative emotions, always feeling a desperate hunger for more hearts. It was a living nightmare.

Then the Time Racers found him. They brought him back to their castle, and once again gave him a human form. It seemed as if they'd freed him from the never-ending torture of being a Heartless, and he'd immediately given them his loyalty for it. But the scars of his trial had gone too deep.

He'd thought he'd fulfilled what he'd always said he would when he was younger. Now he understood otherwise. He may have a human form and more control over himself, but without combining with his Nobody, he wasn't human. He'd never stopped being a Heartless. Looking at the Nobody thought to be gone before him, he realized it was Axel, not Lea, who had risen from the ashes.

"**A-Axel!"** Roxas exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

The Nobody who'd come to be known as the Phoenix turned to look at his best friend. "Long time no see, huh?" he said with a small smirk.

Roxas shook his head, still looking shocked. "But…how? I saw you-"

"Someone brought me back into the Realm of Light," Axel replied. "Apparently, that someone knows you, too."

He saw his friend's eyes flicker, and understood that he knew what he was talking about. However, he didn't say anything about the voice. Instead, he said, "It's good to see you again, Axel."

He knew that, if he'd had a heart, he'd be feeling remorse right now. He had returned from the Realm of Darkness just to end up destroying himself. He almost thought, for a minute, he really could. Then he pushed it aside. "No time for any of that now," Axel said, deciding to spare his friend's 'feelings'. "You have to get to Twilight Town. One of the Time Racers is there, and she's not planning anything good."

"What?" Roxas exclaimed, eyes widening. He hesitated before giving a nod and saying, "Ok, but what about-"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this guy," Axel added, looking to his Somebody, who still appeared stunned. "See you later." Oh, what a terrible lie that was.

Roxas frowned. "Right. I'm supposed to just leave my best friend to fight my enemy for me."

"Roxas, this is my fight," he snapped. "There are other people who need you more right now. So go save them!" He hesitated, then gave a slow nod. The Nobody's eyes seemed darker, but Axel ignored it. Instead, he placed himself between Lea and the trio.

His Somebody, by now, had recovered from his shock, and looked thoroughly pissed. "You!" Lea roared, sending his Chakrams flying towards him. Axel called his own Chakrams to him in a burst of flame, lifting them up just in time to block the flying weapons. They clanged off his Chakrams, the force of the impact forcing him back. He lowered his weapons, only to see a ball of what looked like dark fire flying towards him…

Only to be stopped by a flying Keyblade. Axel looked back in surprise to see Roxas and his friends still behind him. _You're a lot like your Somebody,_ he thought with exasperation. "I thought I told you to go."

"I figured I could help you out at least a little," Roxas replied. "His dark fire…isn't like normal fire."

"Roxas! We have to stop Hilran!" The metal-haired boy shouted.

Roxas nodded to him, then turned and gave Axel his own nod. Then he spun around and ran, his companions right beside him. _He's grown,_ the older Nobody thought, almost feeling like an older brother watching his younger sibling coming of age. '_Feeling?'_ That was a good joke.

"Well, now that you're alone," Lea hissed, forcing him to whip back around and face his Somebody, "we can really get things started." He sent another ball of dark fire flying towards him, which, remembering Roxas's words, he countered with a ball of his own fire. The resulting explosion caused him to skid backwards, and gave Lea enough time to retrieve his Chakrams from where they lay. His Somebody threw one of the weapons towards him. Axel lifted one of his own Chakrams to block it, realizing too late that his opponent's weapon was coated in dark fire.

The fire from his Somebody's weapon flew forward upon impact, striking Axel and immediately making him wish he couldn't feel pain instead of emotion. The fire felt as if it was sinking beneath his skin, turning his veins into rivers of flame that were burning up his insides. It was an unaccustomed feeling for the pyro, who'd spent the last several years of life being impervious to flames.

The pain, however, wouldn't be enough to keep him down. The Chakram he'd lifted to block Lea's burst into fire, and he threw it at his opponent. Lea smirked, stepping to the side so that the weapon would fly harmlessly by. "Did you really think I'd fall for my own trick?"

His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed Axel nearly upon him, his remaining Chakram lifted to strike the dark man. "What was that?" he asked smugly, his weapon cutting through Lea's clothes and tearing into his skin.

Lea hissed through gritted teeth as he pulled back to try and reduce the damage of the blow. However, Axel had another trick up his sleeve. He shot fire from the bladed tip of his Chakram that struck Lea, the flames hitting squarely on the open wound. It was a poor imitation of the dark fire's effects, but it was enough to cause Lea to cry out in pain and lose his concentration. It gave Axel time to make a dash for his other Chakram before lunging forward once more. His Somebody glared at him with hate-filled eyes and blocked one blade with his remaining Chakram. The other weapon he grabbed with his hand. Small rivulets of blood trickled down from the wound gained from grabbing the Chakram, growing larger as he clenched the blade.

Axel's mind, needless to say, couldn't understand it. "Why would you do that? It'll only make you weaker."

He saw an emotion he had never felt when he was combined with his Somebody flash through his opponent's eyes: hate. "Weaker? Hah. Like I need strength to crush something that doesn't even exist."

"If I had a heart, that might've actually hurt." His eyes narrowed. "But I don't." With that, fire exploded from both of his Chakrams. Lea counteracted instantly with dark fire. The two bursts of flames struggled against each other for a few moments before erupting in a massive explosion, throwing the two in opposite directions. Axel felt the painful affects of dark fire lance through him, followed by the pain of his body colliding with and bouncing across the ground. He lay there for a few moments, inhaling through his nose with his teeth tightly clenched. Then, slowly, he pushed himself up.

He saw Lea staggering to his feet close to the water, now having both his Chakrams clenched in his hands. The two opponents stood still a few moments, simply glaring at each other across the distance. Then they lunged.

Their weapons collided in a shower of sparks. "Why is it you who got to rise from the ashes?" Lea snarled, dark fire beginning to spiral up around his weapons.

Still feeling the painful affects from the last blast, Axel stepped back and stepped around behind his Somebody. "To destroy you!" He rose on a gout of flame, running through Lea and causing the dark man to let out of cry of pain.

When Axel landed and spun around, Lea was standing, if barely. His breath was coming in ragged gasps, and he shot a glare through narrowed eyes at his Nobody. It took said Nobody a few minutes to figure out why his opponent was tiring so quickly; he'd been running from Roxas. Meaning he'd probably had to fight with his friend several times before this battle. He allowed himself a small smirk. "Why keep fighting? I'm your other half. I know most of your moves."

"Yeah? Well, how about this one?" With a roar, Lea forced his body into an erect position, calling up a massive wall of dark fire.

Axel brought up his own wall of flame to counteract it, jumping backwards to protect himself from the majority of the damage from the resulting explosion. "I _created_ that one," he said, the smirk still plastered on his face. What he didn't expect were two Nobodies dashing out of the smoke from the explosion to strike him.

As he staggered backward and the smoke cleared, he saw Lea standing in the same position he'd been in before the explosion. At first, he couldn't make out any details, but as the smoke cleared more and more, he could see the man's clothes were torn and burned, wounds stretching across his body. Behind him was a massive host of Nobodies. "You think…that was it?" Lea hissed.

Axel's eyes narrowed. "Fool." He reached across the mental link to his own Assassin Nobodies. They immediately appeared around him, a few Dusks apparently deciding to come with them. "Did you forget that I used to command some of them?"

_My liege,_ one Assassin said, looking at him, _we will serve you, and not the imposter._

Axel smirked. _Good._

Lea may have been unaware of the mental conversation, but he clearly knew that the allegiances of the Assassins had shifted. He let out a cry of pure fury that reverberated through the area. As if that were the signal, the Nobodies still on Lea's side lunged forward. The one's that were now with Axel hurried to meet them.

It was a strange sight, to see the lesser Nobodies fighting each other. Dusks fighting other Dusks, Dancers, and Creepers, Assassins fighting Snipers, Dragoons, and Berserkers. The Assassins were having better luck than the Dusks, slipping beneath the surface of the ground so that their opponent's attacks missed, lunging up to strike them before going back into the ground. The Dusks, without that helpful ability, were forced to fight in their normal way, and on both sides they were quickly falling. Being Nobodies, they fought without fear, but it caused their downfalls all the more quickly. Amidst all this, Lea and Axel stood still, eyes locked in identical, emerald-eyed glares, ignoring the battle of Nobodies raging around them.

The fact remained that Axel's Nobodies were still outnumbered by Lea's. The pyro, however, was ready for this. When the first few Nobodies broke through his ranks, he shot several fireballs at that, the flames devouring them hungrily. He began advancing, and as he did, more Nobodies broke free from the battle to strike at him. He cut through a Dragoon with his Chakrams, then sent his two flaming weapons flying up into the air. They crossed in an X-like pattern across a Sniper getting ready to strike, destroying it before they fell back to their master's hands. All the while he kept his gaze on Lea, who still hadn't moved.

He spread his arms out, firing erupting along the ground on either side of him, clearing a straight path through the battle to his opponent. The flames remained burning high along the sides of the path, though the middle of it remained clear. He could walk straight towards his target with being intercepted by a Nobody.

Lea was clearly too tired to move out of the way, but his eyes were filled with a wild light. He threw one Chakram at Axel, which the Nobody deflected into his walls of flame. His Somebody threw his other weapon at him, which met the same fate. He sent a ball of dark fire at him, which he was able to dodge with ease. He sent a volley dark fireballs at him down the path, which were a bit trickier. He rose on a gout of flame the destroyed the dark fire and also brought him closer to Lea.

The dark man was growing desperate. With a wild cry he sent fire walls of his own running alongside Axel's, their dark flames casting a demonic glow on the pathway. Lea tried to bring the dark fire in to collapse on Axel. The Nobody brought his own fire walls forward and had them collapse on the dark fire first. The power of the colliding flames caused another explosion, sending sparks of fire all across the battlefield. Instead of trying to resist it, Axel jumped forward, the power from the explosion still hurting him, but also pushing him forward so that the damage was far less than it would have been.

Lea's eyes widened as the pyro flew towards him. His hand curled into a fist, which he struck out. Axel caught it with one of his Chakrams, blade piercing the skin. As the Nobody landed, he wrenched his weapon to the side, effectively removing it from the man's skin and causing a large spurt of blood to come from the mutilated hand. The dark man let out a cry of pain.

Axel looked down at his Somebody as the battle of Nobodies closed up behind him. This was it, then. Lea was completely beaten; he had nothing left. All that he had to do was finish the job. "Good bye," Axel hissed, raising his Chakram to strike down the Heartless.

When you destroy him, you'll have to go, as well.

He froze as the words flashed through his mind. Had the voice just spoken to him? No…that was a memory. But it reminded him of what he'd lose. _This is stupid. You're a Nobody; just finish him._ But he found he couldn't move his arm to strike his Somebody down.

Lea seemed to notice that he was still breathing. He looked up, eyes narrowed. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing," Axel hissed, though he still didn't land the final blow.

"What game are you playing?" Lea snarled, cradling his injured hand and trying to stop the blood flow as he realized he might have time enough to live. Then his eyes widened in realization, and a smirk crossed his face. "You're afraid."

"I'm a Nobody. Nobodies can't feel." He could remember feeling fear, when he was a Somebody. He wasn't feeling anything now, just pseudo-emotions from his memories. Except…there was a tiny thing there that didn't add up.

"But you were connected with Roxas, and through him, the Keyblade Master. Who seems to have an interesting effect on many people." Lea had a wolfish grin on his face. "It appears he's infected you with a tiny bit of true emotion."

"You're wrong," Axel hissed, ignoring that oddity inside him.

"Oh? Then destroy me. Of course, that means you'd go too, wouldn't it?"

Axel gritted his teeth, his arm still raised to bring his weapon down. "Even if it were true, a small amount of fear wouldn't be enough to stop me from destroying you."

"But maybe, amidst all those fake emotions, it _is _enough." Axel's eyes widened, and Lea's glowed with dark triumph.

He stumbled as a Nobody from the battle still going on behind him struck him. It was enough to give Lea and opportunity to escape through a Corridor of Darkness, his smirk and glowing eyes seeming to linger a few moments longer than the rest of him. Behind Axel, the battling Nobodies paused in their fight. After a few moments, they all went back to where they'd once come from.

The Phoenix fell to his knees, his weapons disappearing. He'd failed.

_There's the end of chapter sixty - five. Was the battle what you expected? Please review!_


	66. Two Halves

_And here is chapter sixty - six. The winner of last week's poll (Which is your favorite _Guardian Twin _character?): Roxas :D. This week's poll: Which is your favorite _Guardian Twin _world?_

_Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Panda-Hiroko, kingdomdisney, Axel'sChakrams8, Flightfoot, WinterTurndra, The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika, SkyWarrior2, caitlinkeitorin, and roxas key6 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Sixty - Six: Two Halves**

Lea was gasping for breath by the time he emerged from the Corridor of Darkness. He held his mutilated hand tightly to his chest, feeling wet blood soak through his torn clothing. He slipped into an area between two buildings, where he leaned against the wall of one and slipped to the ground.

He was in Twilight Town. He hadn't intended to come here, but had been in too much of a rush to worry about where he'd end up. Now he wished he'd given it more thought. "So, I go from one possible death to another?" he sneered, looking out from his hiding place into the orange glow of the town.

He slowly pulled his hand away from his chest, looking down to survey the damage. He grimaced at the sight. Anyone looking at his right hand now would never see it for what it was. The skin was completely covered by the crimson of his blood, still pooling out from the gashes. The skin that had been torn away either hung in clumps around it or had been torn off completely, leaving areas where white showed instead of his skin. No bones were broken, thankfully, but to heal a wound like this, he'd need the aid of magic. And magic was something he didn't have.

He felt the stings of his other wounds and the ache of his fatigue. He lowered his right hand, letting its blood stain the ground instead of him. Without healing magic soon, he'd basically lose the function of his hand. And considering the fact that he fought with two weapons, that didn't bode well for him.

He turned his head so that his eyes looked up to the sky. He was too exhausted to fight, if anyone came by. "Come and get me, Hilran," he hissed, feeling utterly defeated. "My time…is almost up."

His exhaustion finally overcame him, and he submitted, broken and bleeding, into sleep.

**Hilran **had a wicked grin plastered on her face. "This should be fun," she hissed, calling up a swarm of Nobodies.

_We are ready to do your bidding, mistress,_ one said, bowing to her.

She turned her gaze to the one that had spoken. "Go cause some mayhem," she ordered. "Have whatever 'fun' you like with the townspeople."

_And about the Traitor and his friends?_

She smirked at the Nobody's name for Roxas. "You can torment them for a while, if you find them. However, you must report their arrival to me."

_Of course, mistress._

The Nobodies were about to leave when Hilran stopped them. "Wait."

The Nobody turned to look back at her. _Yes, mistress?_

"Feel free to kill Shadow and Angel. They are of no interest to me. Roxas, however," and here she clenched her fist, her smirk gone and eyes darkened, "I want alive."

_Of course._ With that, the Nobodies left.

Hilran stared after them for a while, then summoned her pole-arm. "Soon," she said, looking up to the clock tower the stretched above her, then surveying the town, "I will destroy you."

**Mickey **walked in before his former master, Yen Sid. "Master Yen Sid," he said by way of greeting.

The former Keyblade Master looked at the Keyblader who had once been his student. "Mickey, it is good to see you again."

Mickey nodded, then immediately jumped to the point. "Why did you call me here?"

Yen Sid gave him a small smile. "You've been searching for the location of Sora and his friends, have you not?"

"Yeah, but Roxas said they were in Time Castle, and that they couldn't get back there. You need some sort of crystal to get through the barrier."

"Roxas," Yen Sid said thoughtfully. "Did it ever occur to you that he looks very similar to someone else?"

"Ven?" Mickey asked, unable to help but wonder where his former master was going with this. Then his eyes widened. "Wait! Are you saying Roxas _is_ Ven?"

Yen Sid lowered his head. "No…and yes, at the same time."

There were several seconds of silence, which Mickey broke by finally saying, "What do I need to do?"

The older lifted his head to look back at the King. "My friend, it is not your destiny to free Sora, Riku, and Kairi."

"What?" Mickey yelped, unable to contain his surprise. "But-"

Yen Sid cut him off. "This quest belongs to Roxas, and the new friends that have joined him. He is half of Sora; therefore, he must undergo an Awakening all his own before Sora can finally fulfill his true destiny as the Key that Connects Everything." The former master smiled, closing his eyes. "In a way, they are like the Guardians of the worlds. If the worlds are to be saved, then both must play their parts."

"I see," Mickey said quietly, "but I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Yen Sid's eyes opened. "I thought you might say that." He was still smiling. "There is still a way for you to help." The King perked up, and the former master continued. "A Time Racer has gone rogue, and unleashed a horde of Nobodies on Twilight Town. Roxas, Shadow, and Angel are on their way there, but alone, they cannot win."

"Then I'll go and lend them a hand!" Mickey said immediately, turning around to leave."

"Mickey." The voice of Yen Sid forced Mickey to stop and turn to look at his former master once more. "Don't be discouraged. Your role in this is not over."

Mickey hesitated, then nodded, resolve hardened. "Of course." Then he continued out.

Yen Sid watched him go, then lowered his head. "Fate is never simple," he murmured, thinking of all the ones who had become connected, "because it can so easily be change." And in his mind's eye, he saw Roxas get consumed by Vanitas. He saw Sora forced to destroy him. And, he couldn't help but wonder - and hope - that the Nobody could change his own fate.

**The **Gummi ship hurtled through space towards Twilight Town. Roxas wasn't real thrilled about having to leave his friend alone to fight his enemy, but sometimes splitting up was the only way to confront an enemy with many faces. He had no idea what Hilran was doing in Twilight Town, but he did know that he needed to stop her.

_Destroy her._

He tried to force the dark presence hovering in the back of his mind down.

When they approached Twilight Town and entered the world's atmosphere, he brought the Gummi ship up to hover above the ground before landing in the woods near the old mansion. "Well, here we are again," Shadow said, stepping out.

"There's no sign of Hilran here," Angel murmured, his voice laced with suspicion.

The usual grin appeared on Shadow's face. "Aw, I wanted to kick her butt!"

Angel shot her a glare. "You really think it will be easy? Don't underestimate her!"

Shadow held up her hands. "Geez, I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"I don't think that's going to work," Roxas said, stepping out of the Gummi ship. He walked past his two companions and into the woods. "Come on; let's make sure everyone's Ok."

As his companions followed him through the wood, he found himself searching for some sign of that link to Ven and Xion. _Where are you guys?_ he cried mentally, as loud as he could. However, he got no response, only felt the ever-present pressure of the dark voice. _I'm sorry!_ Still no answer. What if he'd lost them for good?

As he emerged through the hole into Twilight Town, he immediately saw a problem. "Nobodies," he hissed, summoning his Keyblade.

"We can take them," Shadow said, slipping on her claw gauntlets. Angel nodded, summoning his daggers, and the two lunged forward.

Roxas was about to follow when he heard a familiar voice. "Help!"

His head whipped around. "That sounded like-" And right on cue, Pence appeared, being chased by Nobodies.

Roxas lunged forward, bringing the Kingdom Key forward to strike the two Dusks. "Roxas!" Pence exclaimed, noticing the Nobody who'd come to his rescue.

"Go!" Roxas replied, striking at the Dusks with powerful force.

"But Hayner and Olette are still in trouble!"

_Crap._ "Where are they?" he asked, lunging forward to spear one of the Dusks, then ripping his Keyblade through it to also cut through the second.

"In the Sand Lot."

Roxas whipped around. "Shadow! Angel!" he called.

The two hurried over. "Something wrong?" the former Time Racer asked.

"Hayner and Olette," Roxas replied.

Angel's eyes glimmered with understanding. "Well, what are we standing around here for?" Shadow asked, running ahead of all three boys. They weren't far behind.

When they entered the Sand Lot, they saw Nobodies had surrounded the duo. Hayner was busy trying to ward them off with a Struggle bat, shouting abuse at them. Roxas dashed forward, his Keyblade slicing clean through one of the Dusks. "You're back," Hayner said, eyes widening in surprise.

Roxas nodded. "Come on; we need to get to a safer place."

_You could take them easily._

He struggled against the force of the dark voice. "How?" Hayner asked skeptically, striking at a Nobody with the bat.

"We clear a path, of course," Shadow replied cheekily, her claws cutting through a Dusk.

Angel's daggers spun and slashed at another. "You go; we'll make sure you can get through."

Hayner nodded. "Right. Thanks." Roxas nodded, then swung the Kingdom Key out to force a Dusk back. Hayner, Pence, and Olette started hurrying in the direction of the Usual Spot, Roxas, Shadow, and Angel following behind to make sure they could ward off the incoming Nobodies. Roxas felt himself falling into the familiar rhythm of battle…that is, until he remembered he had to stay with the Twilight Town trio, or the dark voice tried to force its way in again.

He jabbed his Keyblade into a Dusk as they arrived at the Usual Spot. Hayner, Pence, and Olette slipped inside. "You guys, too," Roxas said, looking to Shadow and Angel.

"What about you?" Shadow asked.

"I'll be in soon," he replied, performing an upward slash on one of the few remaining Nobodies that had followed them. As his two companions slipped inside, he landed a three-hit combo on the final Nobody, then dashed through the curtain.

Inside, the five others has all found places to sit. "I hate those things," Hayner said, punching a fist into his hand.

"But what are we going to do about them?" Olette asked.

"A woman named Hilran is the one controlling them," Angel informed them. "If we defeat her, the Nobodies should leave."

"But that won't stop them from causing harm to innocent people in the meantime," Pence replied.

"Yeah, well, we have nothing else," Shadow replied with a shrug.

Hayner turned his gaze to Roxas, who still stood in the entryway. "This time, I'm fighting too."

"Hayner," Olette and Pence said simultaneously.

"I'm serious," the blond Struggler replied. "This is my home, and I want to help defend it." He lifted his Struggle bat. "They don't call me the Struggle Champion for nothing."

"Really?" Roxas replied sarcastically, remembering the results of that tournament in the other Twilight Town.

"Hey, watch it, newbie."

"Newbie," Olette said, her voice contemplative. Then her eyes widened. "We've met you before!"

"Huh?" Roxas asked, startled. He ignored the raging of the dark voice in the brief, fleeting hope that the ones he'd once considered his friends could remember the time spent together in the other Twilight Town.

"Yeah, you were the guy in black that beat Hayner at Grandstanding."

"Oh," Roxas said, his hopes immediately falling.

"Oh, yeah!" Pence said in realization. "Did you ever find who you were looking for?"

"Not that this isn't 'touching'," Angel said, giving a dry cough, "but don't you think we have more important things to worry about now? In case you haven't noticed, we're outnumbered."

Roxas nodded, but a wide grin was spreading across his face. "And I think I know a way to help." He turned his gaze to look at the Twilight Town gang. "I used to be a member in a group of powerful Nobodies called Organization XIII. I spent…a lot of time here."

"Wait, you're a Nobody?" Hayner exclaimed in surprise.

"Uh, where are you going with this?" Shadow asked, looking lost.

"Each member of the Organization was put in charge of their own group of lesser Nobodies." He didn't know if it would work, but…it was worth a shot. "It's time to even the odds."

_And that's the end of chapter sixty - six. Review, please?_


	67. Samurai

_**Alright, so here's chapter sixty - seven. The winning results of last week's poll (Which is your favorite **_**Guardian Twin**_** world?): Spirit Mountain. This week's poll: Which of Roxas's forms do you think is best?**_

_**Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, kingdomdisney, caitlinkeitorin, PhantomGirl12, The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika, NumberXIII, Axel'sChakrams8, SkyWarrior2, and Tears Parallel for reviewing last chapter! **_

**Chapter Sixty - Seven: Samurai**

Zylen's eyes never strayed from the Keyblade floating in the sphere of darkness. "First Kisue, now Hilran," he hissed. Twice, he had been betrayed. Twice, his intimidation had failed him.

And it was all because of that Keyblader and his Nobody.

Zylen gritted his teeth, and the dark magic surrounding the Keyblade flickered in response. He could send out some Time Racers to eliminate Hilran, as he did Kisue. However, there was still no word back to him whether or not the later had been disposed of. Besides, he wasn't sure how much control he had over the others; they could easily betray him, too, if they thought they could.

Looking at the Keyblade hovering before him, he wanted to reach out and grasp it; to feel its power flow into him. "No," he hissed, his gaze swinging away to avoid the temptation. "Not yet." The portal to the past had to be finished first. Then he could take the Keyblade inside and unlock the pathways…before it escaped him.

He turned on his heel and headed out into the dark stone corridors of Time Castle. The brown-haired Keyblade wielder wouldn't remember anything of what had transpired; Domian's magic would make sure of that. That meant it was safe to set him free once everything was said and done. However, the Nobody…

"The Nobody will be dealt with," he hissed.

He was sure that it wouldn't be long before Roxas managed to get a crystal. But he'd find him ready and waiting when he arrived.

**Roxas **looked at his companions. "Everyone ready?"

The five behind him nodded. Hayner, Pence, and Olette still looked unsure about trusting a Nobody, but since he appeared to be on their side - and they still wanted to protect their home - they'd still come along. _It'll never be the same, _he thought, eyes growing shadowed. Then he looked at Shadow and Angel. Both of them knew he was a Nobody, and were friends with him regardless, even though they were Somebodies. The thought warmed him. "Ok. Let's go."

"Attack!" Shadow shouted, springing from her hiding place and launching herself at the first Nobody she saw.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Hayner cried, jumping out with his Struggle bat.

Angel shook his head as he watched them. "Don't they know not to shout-" he paused, then shook his head again. "Never mind."

"Ok, they've got the Sandlot," Roxas said, "so Angel, you and I will be heading towards the Station. I try and get the Samurais to cover whatever ground's left."

"Assuming you can call them," Angel pointed out.

"What about us?" Pence asked.

"Just find a place to hide and stay put," Roxas replied, knowing neither of them were really 'fighting' types."

"But-" Olette protested, but Angel and Roxas were already heading away.

The two soon found that the path to the Station was blocked by several Nobodies. They were noticed immediately, and flew towards them. "Now might be a good time to call your Nobodies," Angel commented, summoning his daggers.

The golden haired Nobody was already on it, his mind searching for the mental link between him and the Samurais. As usual, he found the link broken. He gritted his teeth in frustration, trying to forge a way across the gap that separated him from them.

"Roxas!"

Blue eyes snapped open in time to see a Nobody flying towards him. "Get back," he growled, summoning the Kingdom Key in a flash of light to push back the Nobody.

"No Samurais?"

"No," Roxas growled in frustration.

Angel snorted. "So much for the plan."

"We still have a plan," Roxas hissed, swinging his Keyblade at an oncoming Nobody. "Defeat Hilran."

"And not dying against the uncountable hordes of Nobodies while we try to find her…and she could be anywhere."

_Well, when you put it that way…_ He swung the Kingdom Key out, the weapon colliding with a Nobody. As it forced his enemy back, he flipped the Keyblade into a reverse grip, dragging the teeth of the blade through the malformed body. The Nobody dissipated in seconds.

By this time, other Nobodies were beginning to come from behind them, as well. He ducked low, managing to avoid and lunging attack by one of them, and spun around, Keyblade out. The momentum built up from that attack brought him to his feet and hit countless Nobodies. He launched straight from that into a jumping strike, blade slamming into one attacking Nobody. He used the body of another to push himself higher, slamming it into the ground at the same time. His blade slashed at a Dragoon, whose lance he grabbed and used the spin himself around onto the Nobody's back. He held onto his opponent as it tried to throw him off. He spun his Keyblade around so that it's point was aimed at its back, jabbing the weapon forward so that it impaled the Dragoon. It let out a roar as it faded away. He used the force of gravity as he fell to his advantage, allowing it to add power to his strike. He crushed the Nobody that was unfortunate enough to be beneath him.

_See? You don't need anyone's help._

At the presence of the dark voice, his gaze shifted to where Angel was spinning and slashing his daggers, steadily trying to forge a path through the Nobodies. For a moment, his mind grew foggy. The dark voice was right; after all, he'd done quite a bit all by himself, hadn't he?

The fog disappeared the moment something slashed his chest. He gritted his teeth, spinning around to face- "What?"

Angel glanced over his shoulder at his companion's surprised cry. His eyes widened, then narrowed. "Heartless."

Roxas watched as the dark creatures began to spring up all around them. "But why did they-" He cut himself short, his eyes widening. How could he have forgotten? "The Keyblade."

The odds of them surviving had suddenly gotten a lot worse.

But that didn't mean he planned on giving up.

He brandished his weapon, the blade striking at both Heartless and Nobodies. It made contact with some, but there were plenty more on all sides to take their place. "Get off me!" Roxas hissed as a Dusk jumped on him. Below him, Shadow Heartless slashed at his legs. His teeth gritted in pain and frustration, he ducked down low, allowing a jumping Heartless to scrape the Dusk off his back. He once more spun in a circle, trying to push back the hordes that were steadily surrounding him. Instead of jumping this time, he stabbed his blade directly upwards, the blade impaling a Heartless that had been trying to jump on top of him.

If it had just been the Nobodies, they would've been fine. But the Heartless's attraction to the Keyblade was too strong. And they still had Hilran to deal with. "We need to fall back!" Roxas shouted to Angel.

"How?" the former Time Racer asked, crossing his sparrow-winged daggers into and X and slicing them through a Heartless, the momentum of his attack pulling him forward further.

"You could-"

"No."

Well, he had to try. _Xion. Ven, _he thought as he tried to fight off his enemies. _I wish you guys were here. We could really use your help._

_Fool. You don't need them._

He felt Nobodies and Heartless tugging at him, pulling him down. _Yes, I do._

Suddenly, light flashed around him, and he felt the weight of the enemies clinging to him disappear. When his rescuer landed, he blinked a few times in surprise. "Boy, looks like I got here just in time."

"King Mickey?" Roxas asked in surprise.

"Yen Sid told me there was trouble in Twilight Town. I figured you could use my help."

The Nobody jumped to his feet, preparing for the next attack. "Thanks."

The King's face looked downcast, however. "It looks like we could use a bit more help, though."

"I know." More than ever, they needed Roxas's Samurais. _If you're out there,_ he thought, desperately trying to send his thoughts and will over the broken link, _we need your help._

He didn't think it had worked. But then, _Of course, my liege._

He blanched in surprise as Samurai Nobodies sprang up around him and launched themselves into the fray. "Roxas, did you…?" Mickey asked, looking shocked.

"I…think so," he said, still surprised.

As the lesser Nobodies helped to cut through their enemies, he called, "Don't focus all your attention here! A few of you stay; the rest of you, go search Twilight Town. Keep an eye out for a woman in white, blue, and gold."

_Yes, my liege._ With that, several of the Samurais broke away, heading to different parts of the town.

Roxas grinned. He looked at Mickey, who gave him a nod. Then both lunged into the fray once more.

Neither noticed Angel break through the Nobodies and run up towards the Station.

"**Geez!"** Shadow exclaimed as she raised her claw gauntlets to block an attack. The Dragoon backed away, only to give another quick lunge forward. This time the brown-haired girl slipped around it, claw gauntlets lashing out to sink into the creature before her.

"How are you doing over there?" Hayner panted.

"Uh, great," she replied, though her voice told otherwise. In truth, more Nobodies had appeared, and the two were having trouble warding them off.

"Ah, man…we could really use some help right about now."

"Look out!" a new voice cried.

Shadow's head whipped around, and she jumped aside just in time to avoid a barrel rolling rapidly through the sandlot. The Gambler that had been behind her wasn't as lucky, the barrel slamming into it and forcing to into a wall, shattering and taking the Nobody with it.

She looked in the direction the attack had come from, to see Pence and Olette standing with several different object beside them. "We wanted to help," Olette explained, throwing a ball towards a Sniper.

"So we found some things to use against them," Pence added, readying another barrel and rolling it through the battle field.

"That's great, guys," Hayner said, "but I don't think it's going to be enough against these guys."

Shadow's eyes suddenly lit up. "No," she agreed, gray orbs on the approaching figures, "but _they_ might be."

The other three turned their heads to see the Samurais appear, dual swords cutting through the Nobodies they encountered. "Who are they?" Hayner asked in surprise.

"The Samurais." Shadow turned to them, grinning broadly. "Roxas's plan worked!"

_**Mistress.**_

Hilran turned at the sound of the Nobody's voice. "Yes?" she asked.

_The three are here._

She smiled slightly. "Good." As she dismissed the Nobody, she spun her pole-arm a few times. "I think that means I'll go and pay Roxas a little visit."

"You'll have to defeat me first."

_That voice._ Hilran turned to look at the owner of the voice. A familiar metal haired boy stood in her path, brown eyes blazing and daggers held ready. "So, the banished leader returns?"

With a cry, Angel launched himself forward.

_That's the end of chapter sixty - seven. Yes, I know, that was a terrible cliffhanger. Review, please?_


	68. Memory

_And this is chapter sixty - eight. It was updated early because…I'm not going to be home tomorrow. So…yay? -_-' The winning results of last week's poll (Which of Roxas's forms do you think is best?): a tie between Sunrise and Aura. This week's poll: Which of the Time Racers is your favorite?_

_Thanks go to PhantomGirl12, caitlinkeitorin, kingdomdisney, Flightfoot, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika, Axel'sChakram's8, Kamen Rider Ebon, SkyWarrior2, and NumberXIII for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Sixty - Eight: Memory**

Angel's blades slashed for Hilran, but his blows were caught by her pole-arm. His breath hissed out through gritted teeth, and he slipped to the side. He slashed his weapons rapidly at the Time Racer before she could make another move.

He expected to see her eyes widen in surprise and her lips flatten into a grimace. Instead, they curved into a smile.

He was suddenly slashing through mist and air. He spun around rapidly, trying to figure out in the few seconds he had where she would reappear from. He saw a blade flying at him from the corner of his eye, and brought one dagger up to force it away. He jumped back a pace, bringing his sparrow-winged daggers in front of him to block any incoming blows.

Instead he saw more mist. He barely had time to register this fact before something sharp slashed his cheek. He gritted his teeth, spinning away from the blade of the pole-arm and flipping his weapons into a normal grip, trying to jab them into the Time Racer. She quickly brought her pole-arm back in front of her, spinning it to deflect his jabs. She lashed the double bladed weapon at his legs. He jumped to avoid it, flipping in the air to try and bring his weapons down upon her with more force. Instead he cut through more mist. He spun around, flipping his daggers back into their normal reverse grip as he did so, in time to block Hilran's powerful attack.

The two jumped apart, eyeing each other for a few moments. "Well," Hilran hissed, a smirk tugging on her lips, "it seems you haven't lost any of your fighting skills."

Angel's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Your point?"

"Don't I get a compliment in return?" He quickly brought his weapons before him. "Fine. If you're such a glutton for punishment."

Mist swirled up around her. Angel dashed forward and spun around a couple of paces away from where he'd been standing, immediately propelling himself back. When Hilran reappeared, he was ready. He crossed his weapons in an X, catching the incoming blades of her pole-arm. Her eyes widened in surprise at his counterattack, then narrowed. "Impressive," she commented as the two pushed their weapons harder against each other. "But don't you think it would be easier if you used your powers?"

Angel glared at her. "Shut up."

"Oh, that's right, they held bad memories, didn't they?" Hilran asked mockingly. "Something about your girlfriend dying. What was her name? Sira?"

"Shut _up!_"

He forced her weapon back, ducking beneath her defenses to slash at her with both of his weapons. She stumbled back before his blades could do much damage, her eyes glittering with cold amusement. "Oh, I struck a sore spot, did I?"

His heart was seared with grief an anger, his mind blazing with an image of Sira's face. _No…no…_ his mind kept saying, over and over as he relived his memories of times spent with her.

_Listen to your heart._

He blinked as the sound of two voices saying the same words echoed through his memory. Then, only one of the voices spoke, accompanied with an image. _Maybe you weren't listening hard enough._

It was Shadow.

He gasped as he felt blades suddenly tearing through his skin. He gritted his teeth as he saw his blood splatter across the ground. "Never let your guard down," Hilran told him, smirking.

His eyes flared, and he lunged forward, blades slashing into her. Her eyes widened in surprise as the weapons hit home and she flew backwards. "You should take your own advice!"

She glared at him, then disappeared into a gout of mist. He dashed a few feet away, spinning around in the expectance of an attack. However, none came. He blinked in surprise, then his head shot up as he heard a voice. "Up here!"

He saw a shape now standing on top of the Station tower. _What is she playing at?_ he wondered. He knew he had no choice but to find out.

Angel dashed into the Station and sought out the door that would lead him to the top. He dashed up the steps once he found them, mentally trying to get ready for whatever trap Hilran had planned for him. As he burst out onto the top of the tower, he saw Hilran staring calmly at him, a glint in her eyes. "I thought I was going to have the pleasure of destroying both you and Roxas. But I can see now I'll only be able to do one."

He blinked, then saw the mist swirling up around her. "HILRAN!" he snarled, lunging forward in a vain attempt to stop her before she could disappear between times. However, he found his blades slashing through thin air.

Angel suddenly found himself surrounded by Nobodies. He grimaced, knowing how hard the tight space would be to fight in, especially against this many enemies. He whipped back around to face the door. However, it was blocked by Nobodies. The only way out…were his powers.

And they were something that he refused to use.

"**Roxas!"** Shadow exclaimed. As she burst from the alley into the street, she saw her friend finishing off a Heartless. She blinked. "Wait, where'd the Heartless come from?"

"They were attracted by the Keyblade," the Nobody replied, lifting the weapon.

"It's a good thing they're gone now," another voice added.

The brown-haired girl whipped her head around, a grin spreading on her face. "Hi, King Mickey! When'd you get here?"

Mickey smiled. "Not long ago. It's a good thing Roxas managed to call his Nobodies, or we could've been in trouble."

"Where's Hayner?" Roxas questioned.

"We finished off the Nobodies in the Sand lot, with the help of the Samurais, Pence, and Olette," she ignored his surprised look, "so I came to help you and Angel." She looked around curiously. "Where is Angel?"

Roxas blinked in surprise, then whipped around in a search of his own. "He must've gotten through the Nobodies."

"But where did he-" she was cut short as she heard a furious cry echo through the air. "HILRAN!"

"The Station!" Roxas exclaimed, running in that direction, only to find more Nobodies springing up before him.

Mickey was there in an instant, cutting through them. "I'll hold them off. You guys go!"

"You sure?" Roxas asked in surprise.

Mickey nodded. "Your friend needs you."

Roxas nodded to him. "Thanks." Then he and Shadow raced off towards the Station.

The immediately found themselves confronted by Nobodies in the Station Plaza. "Can't catch a break," Roxas sighed, readying his weapon.

Shadow scanned the area, but could find no trace of metallic hair and brown eyes. "Where is he?" she murmured.

She was forced to focus when Nobodies lunged at her. She slashed her claws at the incoming Nobodies. She ducked to avoid the strike of a Dusk, her weapons cutting through its scrawny form. A Dancer caught her off guard, knocking her to the ground. Her head hit the ground hard, and she remained there a few moments, blinking to try and get out of her daze.

When her head cleared, she saw the form of a Nobody fly off the edge of the clock tower. She blinked in surprise, rolling to her feet and turning her eyes upward. Sure enough, someone was fighting up there, slashing rapidly at incoming Nobodies. "Roxas!" she cried, pointing upwards.

The Nobody's head whipped around, then followed her finger. "I'll call some Samurais for help!"

Shadow's mind couldn't help winging back to the conversation they'd had back on Syndrome's Island:

"_But…you won't ever use them? Not even to save your own life?"_

_He gave her a level stare. "Not even." _

"I've got to help him," she breathed. Without another thought, she dashed into the Station.

"Shadow!" Roxas exclaimed, but she ignored him, searching desperately for the stairs and, once finding them, racing up them to the top.

When she emerged, she saw her friend was in bad shape. Nobodies had him pinned up against the clock. His weapons splintered and broke as they were slammed repeatedly against the metal surface. "Leave him alone!" Shadow cried, jumping forward to slash her claws through the Nobodies assailing him. The former Time Racer lifted his head, eyes wide with surprise as she tried to ward off the Nobodies.

She soon realized why Angel had ended up cornered. She tried to back away from the Nobodies, but it was difficult in the narrow space. Her legs suddenly came up against the railed edge. A Dusk lunged for her, and she swiped at it with the claws of her gauntlet. Unfortunately, the movement was enough to tip her over the edge.

She was too shocked to even scream. Instinctively she tried to claw at the edge with her gauntlets, hoping to dig the metal blades in. Instead, the claws snapped, leaving her to tumbled through the air. _This is it,_ she thought as she felt the rush of air buffeting her. _I'm going to die. _

Suddenly she felt arms wrap around her. She blinked in surprise, craning her neck back as far as she could against a chest. She saw dark gray metallic hair scattered around his face, barely able to see narrowed brown eyes. Angel. _He jumped after me._

Then mist swirled around them, impacting them with cold air and sending them between times.

"**Shadow!** Angel!" Roxas exclaimed, watching in horror as his friends fell. He moved to go after them, until he saw Angel's arms wrap around Shadow and mist swirl around them, safely transporting them away. _Didn't he…say that he'd never use his powers again?_ he thought with surprise.

"Well, that was unexpected," a new voice hissed.

Roxas's head snapped towards the direction of the voice. "Hilran," he hissed as the Time Racer appeared out of a swirl of mist.

She looked curious and somewhat amused. "After all his stubbornness, he finally caved in and used his powers." She waved her hand, and the Nobodies in the plaza disappeared.

Roxas glared at her across the expanse. "Why are you attacking Twilight Town?"

She smirked. "You haven't realized it yet. Maybe you're not as clever as I thought." His eyes darkened, only increasing her amusement. "It was to lure you here." She raised her pole-arm. "So I could destroy you once and for all!" And with that, she lunged forward.

The Nobody raised his Keyblade in time to block. She struck out rapidly, switching quickly between both ends of the double-bladed weapon. Her strikes broke through his defenses, sending him skidding backwards.

_Come on, you're stronger than this!_

Roxas grimaced as the dark voice echoed through his mind. _Leave me alone, _he hissed back, trying to stave off the mental mist while at the same time trying to ward off Hilran's attacks.

_Leave you alone?_ the dark voice scoffed, sounding smug. _Why should I? What's yours is mine._

Roxas blinked, finding his mind reeling. The image of the world before him was becoming blurry, Hilran's attacks seeming to slow as memories poured into him. His soul didn't belong to him; that was Sora's. His body was Sora's, shaped by Ventus's heart. His emotions certainly weren't his own. Many of his memories weren't, either. Maybe the owner of the dark voice had a point. His very existence…depended entirely off of others.

_But what about Shadow and Angel?_ he asked himself. A small flicker of light pulsated in the cloudy darkness that was quickly closing in on him. _Xion and Axel? Namine?_ The light grew stronger, and he heard a furious hiss in the back of his mind. _Ven and Sora care, too. Even Hayner, Pence, and Olette, though they don't know about the other Twilight Town._ The cold darkness was quickly being pushed back, replaced by warm light. _There are a lot of things about myself that…don't entirely belong to me. But I have friends; ones who accept me as a _Nobody_. And I have memories of my own experiences, too._ He felt something quivering in rage deep inside him, but something else, too; something much brighter. _I may be a mix of many people, but that mix and my own friends and experiences have made me who I am. My friends need me now. And I'm not going to let them down!_

The light exploded, clearing the fog in his mind, though he could still feel the owner of the dark voice brooding angrily somewhere inside him. In his mind's eye, he saw a completely clear Station of Awakening. Sora was in the middle, with him and Ven on either side. Behind them, a Keyhole made of connected stars blazed.

He could feel the familiar presences of Ven and Xion next to him, and could here the smiles in their voices as they said, _You have Awakened at last._

_That's the end of chapter sixty - eight. Like it? Reviews are always welcome._


	69. Guardian Angel

_Here's chapter sixty - nine. The winning results of last week's poll (Which is your favorite Time Racer?): Angel. This week's poll: Which Utada song best fits _Guardian Twin_?_

_Thank you TheEspadaSisters, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, PhantomGirl12, SkyWarrior2, kingdomdisney, Aquamirandallen1, Axel'sCharkrams8, and roxas key6 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Sixty - Nine: Guardian Angel**

Angel felt the cold air kiss his skin as the mist cleared around them, revealing an image from the past. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw what it was. _No…not that. Anything else._ When he'd jumped after Shadow, he hadn't thought about a specific moment in the past. He'd just thought about getting her to safety. Now he wished he'd given it more thought.

They were falling through the moment when he'd found Sira's body. He felt like something had stabbed him in the chest, and his grip around Shadow tightened. He closed his eyes tightly. _Get me out. Get me out!_

He heard the familiar sound of a time portal activating. He knew without opening his eyes that mist was flying around them, bringing them back to the present in a different place.

Warm air suddenly surrounded them, and they skidded through dusty soil. The two of them lay there a few moments, stunned. Then Angel forced himself to release his grip on Shadow, quickly pushing himself to his feet and stalking away. He blinked his eyes rapidly, forcing back unwanted tears. _Control your emotions._

"You…you used your powers."

He stopped at her voice. He wasn't sure why. All he wanted to do was run…to escape the pain that was branding his heart. But for some reason, he answered her. "Yeah."

"You said you wouldn't use them to save your own life." She still sounded stunned.

"I know." _Please, just leave me alone._

"Why?"

He closed his eyes tightly, feeling his aching heart thunder in his chest. "I don't know." _Don't you?_ his heart asked. He reached a hand up to his chest, clutching it over his heart as if it would make the pain go away.

He started as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw Shadow, sympathy glistening in her eyes. "Angel…"

The words came out of their own accord when his eyes met hers. "You are more important to me…than my life." He saw her gray orbs widen. "I…" He trailed off, feeling his throat close up and the odd mixture of emotions in his heart press at its walls.

"You…?" Even as she urged him to finish, he could see that she knew what his unspoken words were.

_You can't. Remember Sira? Remember what happened to her?_ But his heart said otherwise. He looked away, unable to meet her gaze any longer. "Sira gave me my name, you know," he said quietly. "Since my parents died when I was so young, I…never knew my real name. I…I protected Sira from a group of bullies when she first arrived at the orphanage." He laughed humorously, this time unable to blink away the stinging of his tears. "She told me something her parents had told her before they died. That every person had a Guardian Angel, to watch over them. And she said that…I was hers." He looked to the sky, feeling Shadow's hand tighten on his shoulder. His voice shook. "I can't do this again."

"You don't have to forget Sira," Shadow informed him. "Actually, I think that'd be a bad thing." He whipped his head around to look at her. "It's Ok to remember both the good _and_ the bad. Memories are important. But that doesn't mean you can't have other friends, or…" she trailed off, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. Then she cleared her throat, continuing, "Or fall in love again."

His eyes widened. "Shadow…"

She seemed to try and give him her usual grin, though it came off as more embarrassed than cheeky. "Would it help any if I told you…that I love you, too?"

He pulled her into a hug, holding her close while trying to calm his heart. "Yes, Shadow," he whispered, his voice breaking, "it would."

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. He held on to her tightly until he'd managed to get control of his emotions. That's when Shadow finally murmured, "Hey, where exactly did you take us?"

"I don't know," he admitted. He released her, and the two examined the area where they stood.

Shadow's eyes widened. "No way…it can't be!"

"Can't be what?" he asked, glancing at her.

The brown haired girl strode forward, mouth agape. "This is…the Burned City."

He frowned, thinking back to the legend she'd told him and Roxas when they'd first crash landed on Cyrom. He was about to follow her forward when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He whipped around, and his eyes widened. "Shadow," he hissed.

She walked forward to join him, and her eyes widened. "Whoa, a knight?"

_Or at least someone who looks a lot like one, _Angel thought, watching as the armored figure strode toward them. "Who are you?" he asked, summoning his daggers. He blinked in surprise when he saw they were broken, until he remembered what had happened in Twilight Town. Shadow sighed, lifting her gauntlets and looking at the shattered claws that grew from them.

The armored figure stopped a few paces away from them. "Your weapons are broken," said a reverberating voice. Both were quiet, wondering where this figure was going. In its hands appeared fragments of another weapon. "These are the remains of a blade that can unlock any door."

Angel felt shock course through his body, and Shadow voiced his surprised thoughts. "A Keyblade?"

The knight nodded, the armor making a dry clinking sound as it did. Angel felt his daggers being tugged out of his hands, which he released in surprise, at the same time Shadow's claw gauntlets were removed. "The power of two hearts," the knight said, as both the Keyblade fragments and the duo's shattered weapons began to glow, "combined with the power of a lost warrior…can unlock new doors." As the fragments of the three weapons came together, light flared, blinding the vision of both Shadow and Angel.

When they were finally able to blink their eyes open, both gasped in surprise. Hovering above the palms of the knight's hands was a Keyblade. The wide hilt of the blade looked like it was made out of jagged, broken stained glass. The handle was half black, half white. From the hilt sprouted what looked like a sword. On one side, three blades made the teeth of the key; on the other, the teeth were made of what looked like feathers opening into a wing. The Keychain was half a moon, half a sun.

The knight gripped the handle of the Keyblade with both hands, then did something that surprised them even more; it spilt the Keyblade into two. "These blades are twins," the armored figure murmured, "and, one day, they will need two guardians to wield them." The knight flipped the weapons around, catching them on their bladed edges and extending the hilts towards them. "It is your choice if you are to take up this mantle. But be warned," it said, looking pointedly at Angel, "when one takes a Keyblade, all powers of time will be neutralized."

He gasped with surprise. His powers…his curse…gone? He'd finally be free. He smiled, closing his eyes. "I won't forget the past," he whispered, "but I will no longer live within it." He extended his hand.

Shadow grinned. "Same here," she said, her hand reaching out, as well.

As their hands reached the hilts, two handles formed, allowing them to take hold of their new weapons. "You have now chosen your path," the knight informed them. "And it is time…you returned to your friend." Light flared around them, obscuring their view of the knight and the legendary Burned City.

He had no idea why the knight had chosen them, or what it had hoped to accomplish. But in his mind, Angel couldn't help but whisper, _Thank you._

**Lea **could hear the sounds of battle from where he still sat propped up against the wall of the alley. He snorted, his eyes closed. _Let them come,_ he thought, feeling the hopelessness of his situation wash over him. _It doesn't matter anymore._

…You don't have to just give up.

_Who's there?_ he asked, wondering why the hell a woman's voice was echoing through his mind.

His eyes snapped open in surprise as he felt healing magic ring around him. He looked down at his hand, seeing the skin knit back over the bone. He looked himself over, finding no scratches - or any traces, for that matter - of his battle against his Nobody.

You're healed. Now go.

"Why…why would you do this?" he asked, looking around and finding no woman in sight.

…Because…I don't know. It was just the right thing to do.

He stood, blinking in surprise. Then he snorted, looking down. "Hmph. That's a stupid reason." He felt the presence fade from his mind, and he summoned his Chakrams, relishing the feeling of being able to wield his beloved weapons freely once more. "Time to go," he growled, stalking out of the alley.

As he made it out into an open area of Twilight Town, he quickly saw that the forces against Hilran weren't fairing well. She had most of the Nobodies, and it appeared some Heartless had been attracted by the Keyblade. He saw some Nobodies fighting others, reminding him of his battle against Axel. He also saw the mouse king - What was his name? Mickey? - fighting off some of the enemies. He snorted, intent on walking on by.

_It was just the right thing to do._

He gritted his teeth. _Whatever, bitch, _he thought, trying to force the niggling words out of his head.

_It was just the right thing to do._

It didn't work.

He sighed in exasperation. He looked at Mickey, who was getting beaten back by Heartless. Perhaps…just this once…to show his appreciation for being healed. He lifted one of his Chakrams, firing from it a powerful blast of dark fire.

He watched as the Heartless went up in flames. Mickey, surprised, jumped around. His eyes grew even wider. "Lea!"

He snorted, looking away. "Don't read to much into that," he hissed, lowering his Chakram and walking forward.

Now, it was time to find Hilran.

**Aqua **clutched her way finder to her chest. She wasn't entirely sure…who she'd just connected to just now. Maybe it was all in her head. But…she'd felt sure someone needed the power of her magic. She just hoped it wasn't anyone bad.

She looked down at the blue charm. "Terra…Ven," she murmured, "did one of you need my help?"

"Aqua."

She lifted her head in surprise. It…it couldn't be. "Ven?" she gasped, seeing a faint apparition appear before her.

If he hadn't been wearing his helmet, she knew he would've been smiling. "I still have it," he told her, lifting his own way finder.

"Ven, I thought your heart was…" she trailed off as she tried to touch him and her hand went right through.

"It still is," he replied.

Her shoulders sagged. "Do you…know anything about Terra?"

"I…have some ideas." He sounded hesitant to share them. He shook his head quickly. "Listen, though, Aqua, I'm not here just for a reunion."

"Then…why?"

"Because…well, let's just say you won't have to wait here much longer." He reached up with the hand the wasn't holding the way finder, gripping his helmet and slowly pulling it off. "The journey of one is nearly over. He's Awakened."

He looked the same as he always had. Except his eyes…they seemed years older than when she'd last seen them. "What are you talking about, Ven?"

He gave her a sad smile. "Soon, the one that will save us…the Key that Connects Everything…will be able to truly Awaken."

She saw her friend's form begin to fade. "Wait, Ven!" she cried, but she was unable to stop the form of her friend from fading.

"Aqua," he said, his voice taking on an odd quality; there was no tone, no sound, and yet she could hear it, all the same. "You were the one who wrote out that prophecy, weren't you?"

She blinked in surprise, then recited quietly, "The gate can only be closed by entering and becoming the sacrifice, the noble only saved by the hands of time." When Ven nodded, she replied, "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because…well…" To be honest, she hadn't been sure in the first place. She'd just been holding her way finder, when the words had blazed through her mind like fire. She'd scribbled down the words quickly, and the note had disappeared.

"Well, I guess it…doesn't matter too much. The note found its way into the right hands."

"Whose?" she asked. The transparent form of her friend smiled, and he was suddenly garbed in black. She was sure she was imagining this. She had to be. "Ven, what-"

She thought she could see the faintest of smiles on his face before he disappeared. But maybe she'd imagined that, too.

_Well, there's the end of chapter sixty - nine. coughnot a romance writercough Yes, those two Keyblades will play an important role towards the end of the story. So…review?_


	70. Awakened

_This is chapter seventy. The winner of last week's poll (Which Utada song best fits _Guardian Twin?_): Simple and Clean. This week's poll: In _Guardian Twin, _which of the following weapons if your favorite?_

_Thank you DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, PhatomGirl12, TheEspadaSisters, SkyWarrior2, Axel'sChakrams8, The Infinite Dani - Chan Replika, caitlinkeitorin, kingdomdisney, and roxas key6 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Seventy: Awakened**

Roxas's blue eyes snapped open. He felt all the barriers the withheld his light powers break, flooding his body with energy that had for so long been inaccessible to him. And with those powers came his Keyblades. In blazes of light and darkness, Oathkeeper and Oblivion materialized in his hands. He lifted the two blades to block Hilran's pole-arm and push her back, much to her surprise. He twirled them, relishing in the feel of being able to dual wield once more.

A few paces away, the Time Racer was staring at him in shock. "But…how did…?"

"I've finally fully Awakened," he said by way of explanation. He lowered himself into a fighting stance.

Hilran glared at him, lunging forward a split second later. "I'll defeat you, anyways!"

She was obviously surprised when she was forced back by the rings of light he called up around him. He momentary surprise allowed him the opportunity to dash forward, swinging first Oblivion then Oathkeeper at her. Calling up on his light powers once more, the two Keyblades sent shockwaves out upon impact. He followed with rapid sweeps of his weapons, trying to cut at the Time Racer without giving her the chance to react.

Unfortunately, he wasn't quite fast enough. She managed to jump backwards, escaping between times. He instantly called up his rings of light, which blocked her attack when she came hurtling back into the present. He swung Oblivion at her, forcing her back, then lifted his weapon and shot a sphere of light in her direction.

She cut through it, smirking. "Well, it seems I've underestimated you, Nobody." She disappeared into a time portal once more, and once more, Roxas called up the rings of light.

This time, the rings didn't remain long enough. Just as his defensive light faded, Hilran appeared, attacking him ruthlessly with her double-bladed weapon. He gritted his teeth, quickly bringing up Oathkeeper to catch her weapon. When the slashing of the blades let up, he made a quick swing with Oblivion, the weapon striking hard in Hilran's midsection and sending her sprawling backwards.

She easily rolled back to her feet and lunged forward. Roxas dashed forward to meet her attack, only to find himself running through mist and air. He didn't have time to react before he felt blades slicing at his back, causing him to fly forward into the dirt. "Learn to improvise," the Time Racer hissed.

"If you say so," he growled, sending his light powers into his Keyblades and slamming them simultaneously into the ground. The resulting shockwave unbalance his opponent, causing her to join him in the dirt.

He was quickly on his feet once more, sprinting a few paces forward before jumping to the air and flipping, intending to bring his Keyblades down on her. She rolled backwards, his weapons landing with a loud 'clang'. She flipped back onto her feet lunging forward. He was ready for her trick this time, and when she disappeared, he sidestepped. Her path took her directly before him. Oblivion shot out, catching one of her arms, and he twisted low so that Oathkeeper would catch the back of her legs. He used the two Keyblades to flip her over, causing her to land with a heavy thud on the ground.

He brought Oblivion flying down towards her, but she surprised him with her speed. She rolled over and caught the blade between her legs, quickly lifting the hand that was still clutching her pole-arm and using one of the blades to catch the incoming Oathkeeper. Roxas's eyes narrowed, and he pressed harder with both blades. "Not bad," he admitted when neither gained any ground.

"Same to you," Hilran grudgingly growled. "To bad you'll be gone soon." With that, she quickly turned the hand holding the pole-arm. The double-blade weapon hit Roxas with the flat of one of its blades, unbalancing him and allowing the Time Racer to break free. She quickly jumped backwards into a wall of mist.

The golden haired Nobody jumped into the air, bringing both his Keyblades together and flipping over. This time, when Hilran reappeared, the weapons hit their mark, causing the Time Racer to stagger back in surprise.

This didn't last long however. She disappeared quickly into a time portal. Roxas jumped again, thinking she was about to try the same trick. She reappeared, however, a few paces away from where she'd originally been, disappearing back in time again immediately after. "What?" he exclaimed in surprise, landing.

The quick teleportation lent her speed, and Roxas was unable to block in time before her blades started hammering at him, the weapon spinning to make full use of both its bladed sides. Just as he was raising his Keyblades to shove her back, she disappeared into another time portal.

Then he felt her weapons slicing at his back. He gritted his teeth against a cry of pain, trying to spin around and counterattack. However, she'd disappeared once more, reappearing from his side and striking at him, disappearing once more when he prepared to block. She was attacking him from his back again when the cry of pain finally escaped, along with a word, "ENOUGH!" And he spun around, both Keyblades stretched out. He heard her cry of surprise as his weapons hit home. He allowed their moment to bring him into a crouch before he sprang upwards once more.

When he came down on her this time, he slashed his weapons at different times, their impacts sending her further away. She recovered quickly, trying once more the move that had worked so well on him.

This time, he thought he had a way to counter it. _If spinning _without _using light powers can do some damage, what would happen _with _them?_ He grinned, calling on his light and spinning. From the tips of his Keyblades shot spheres of light, flying rapidly around the Station Plaza. Her heard her cry of surprise and ceased the spheres, stopping his spin. He swung his Keyblades back so that they were close to him, arms crossed so they lay on the opposite sides of where they usually were. Then he lunged forward towards the surprised Hilran, bringing his Keyblades out from his sides in a powerful combined slash. Two separate shockwaves raced along the Time Racer's body, causing her to cry out in pain and surprise.

He brought both his weapons together and swung towards her, but she was able to block them with her pole-arm. The two struggled for a few moments before jumping apart. Both studied each other warily, breathing heavily. Across from him, he saw areas where blood was pooling from various cuts, some dripping onto the ground, while some simply stained her uniform. He was glad he couldn't bleed, feeling all the new wounds that had been cut into him. The short-sleeved jacket he wore was little more than tatters now, and he shrugged it off, trying to ignore the burning pain of his new wounds.

Amidst their heavy breathing, Roxas couldn't help but think back to the crash landing on Cyrom. He'd been hurt badly then, two, but his wounds - both physical and emotional - had healed. Now he had a new set of problems, and a new set of wounds. But he wasn't about to give up. Not now. Not ever.

"What? Are you afraid, key-boy?" Hilran sneered.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he panted, eyes narrowing as he glared at her across the expanse.

The two slowly began circling like hungry wolves, each looking for a clear opening in the other's defenses. Their eyes were locked on to each other, not risking the chance of being caught unprepared. Hilran twisted her weapon, looking anxious. Roxas spun his Keyblades in quick circles and tried to control his breathing.

They both lunged forward at the same time. Roxas flipped both of his Keyblades into reverse grips at the last second, bringing them up to catch the downward strike of her pole-arm in the gap between them. Then he smirked, flipping them back into their normal grip and slashing them across Hilran's body. Her breath hissed out, and she lunged forward. He slashed Oathkeeper at her, but she ducked, lifting her knee quickly. He tried to hit her with a quick slash of Oblivion, but wasn't fast enough. Her knee came into contact with his midsection, forcing the air out of him.

Then her blades came. He didn't have time to collect himself and retaliate before they slashed across his chest, sending him flying backwards once more. He skidded across the ground, losing his grip on his Keyblades. He lay there a few moments, trying to regain his breath.

He called up the rings of light around him just in time to force back her jumping strike. Still gasping for air, he rolled to his feet, calling Oblivion back to him and sending it flying towards the Time Racer. He recalled Oathkeeper immediately after, lunging forward. She'd been distracted by the first Keyblade, and so hadn't seen his strike coming until it was too late to dodge. Oathkeeper sent her sprawling. He jumped back a few paces, recalling Oblivion and panting as he watched her.

She was slower getting to her feet this time. In the back of his mind, he knew he should attack her now, while he still had the chance. But he was just as worn out. The two ended up in another brief stair down as they tried to recollect themselves.

Roxas recovered first. Taking a deep breath, he dashed forward, both his Keyblades held out to his side. He brought Oblivion back, getting ready to strike her, but she disappeared into a time portal before he had the chance. He tried to call up the rings of light once more, but discovered he didn't quite have enough energy to cast the light magic.

Her blades cut across him, sending him flying. He rolled over, managing to roll over and shoot one sphere of light at her. It hit home, and she skidded backwards a few paces, thought she remained standing. Panting, he slowly pushed himself to his feet. "You must be getting tired by now," Hilran growled at him, her voice ragged.

"I'm not the only one," he responded. Hilran's eyes narrowed, but she didn't respond. He could see the blood still flowing from her wounds, and knew it was weakening her more than she cared to admit.

"Then I might as well _end this now!_" With that, she jumped forward into a time portal. He didn't have time to move before her blades slashed at him. He dug Oblivion's tip into the ground, using the Keyblade to keep himself upright and spin around to face the Time Racer once more. He slid the Keyblade through the ground, bringing it out to spray dirt into her face.

As she spluttered and spat, rubbing her eyes to try and clear them, Roxas made an effort to recollect himself.

We're with you, Roxas.

_Xion._

There's no way we'd let you fight this alone.

_Ven._

He grinned, then drew upon the power lying deep within his core. He felt the power of his Limit course through him.

Hilran hadn't managed to recover by the time he released it. He floated in the air, calling powerful beams of light down from the sky. The struck all around the Station Plaza, jostling Hilran and causing her to screech in pain. He summoned his full power and went into his Final Limit, the energy of this beams becoming more powerful and numerous. They sent the Time Racer flying across the plaza, and she landed with a painful thud near the railing that overlooked the town.

As the power of his Limit faded, he slowly fell back to the ground. He staggered a bit, trying to stay upright. He used his Keyblades as crutches, breathing heavily while his world spun. He lifted his head and looked across the expanse at Hilran. _And I still have to fight Zylen…before I can save Sora, Riku, and Kairi,_ he thought grimly. If his underlings were this tough, the leader of the Time Racers would be a major problem.

_Finish her. Finish her now._

_There's no point,_ Roxas informed the dark voice, determined the force it down despite his fatigue. _She's defeated; she knows that. _He staggered a few steps forward. _There is something from her I need, though._

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. But what he'd though was true; she couldn't keep fighting. "So, you going to finish it?" she sneered, sounding highly defiant.

He shook his head. "No. But I do need something from you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She opened her mouth, about to comment...

Then a Chakram flew through the air and speared her.

She let out a cry of pain, and Roxas whipped his head around. "Lea!" he snarled, glaring at the dark man.

The red-headed Heartless smirked. "It seems, Hilran, you've bitten off more than you can chew." Before either could act, Lea lunged forward, grabbing Hilran by the hem of her cloak and jerking her upward. Then he jabbed his remaining Chakram forward, the weapon's barbed blades cutting through her throat.

"**How **much longer do you think we can hold them?" Hayner asked, batting at the Nobodies with his Struggle bat.

"I don't know," Mickey replied. The mouse king had joined him when Pence and Olette had run out of ammunition.

The Nobodies suddenly stopped their assault. They froze for a few moments before their bodies suddenly went into spasms. Then they disappeared, the Samurais the only ones remaining with the others.

Hayner blinked a few times, then a wide grin split his face. "They did it!" he cheered, pumping a fist into the air.

Mickey nodded, a smile on his own lips. However, in his heart, he felt resignation. _I can't help you guys anymore, Roxas. You must finish this battle alone._

**Roxas **looked at Lea in horror as he dropped the limp form of Hilran back onto the ground. Blood pooled freely from the wound on her neck, the light in her eyes disappearing. This was death, then. This was what Xion had feared he would do to Zylen. He felt sick.

Lea's face was expressionless, though his eyes showed he wasn't quite as unmoved by her death as he appeared. "The bitch had it coming to her. And this way, I'll be more likely to survive returning to Time Castle." His voice sounded hollow.

"Lea!" Roxas growled, knowing his voice sounded horrified. "She was already beaten!" Lea's head whipped around to glare at him, but the only response he got was the dark man disappearing into a Corridor of Darkness.

He heard something else sound behind him, followed quickly by a gasp. "What happen?" Shadow exclaimed.

"Hilran," he heard Angel growl. "Did you…?"

He shook his head. "Lea." He looked at her body. He didn't want to go near it, but he knew that there was still one thing he had to do. He staggered forward, falling to his knees beside her body. Swallowing hard ad trying not to look at her clouded eyes or the wound in her throat, he reached into the white cloak. From a pocket within, he pulled out a blood-coated crystal. Sick and depressed, he stood and turned away from the gruesome sight.

He was only able to make it a few steps before his legs failed him. He heard Shadow and Angel cry his name in alarm before he fell into darkness.

_That's the end of chapter seventy. Yes, we shall soon be returning to Time Castle. The end draws near. So…review, please?_


	71. Breaking Through

_This is chapter seventy - one. The winning results of last week's poll (In _Guardian Twin, _which of these weapons is your favorite?): the Twin Keyblades. _

_Even if you didn't vote in the previous polls or plan to vote in future ones, I'd appreciate it if you voted in this one: After I finish _Guardian Twin, _do you think I should write a story about the Keyblade War? Normally, I'd just write it, but considering the fact that this would be thousands of years before any of the familiar characters showed up…yeah. The characters would be all OC's. So I really want to know your opinions on this. Oh, and this poll will be up two weeks instead of one._

_Thank you PhantomGirl12, caitlinkeitorin, BookGal26, kingdomdisney, Mata Nui, SkyWarrior2, Axel'sChakram's8, The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika, Flightfoot, BeautifulShadowsKeybearer1317, roxas key6, WinterTurndra, NumberXIII, Key2DestNE, and SisterOfScarletDevil for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Seventy - One: Breaking Through**

A Corridor of Darkness opened up on the world known as Time Castle. From within came Lea, who was clutching the crystal that allowed him access. He shivered as he looked up at the barren stone ramparts, knowing who he was going to meet. He could only hope that Hilran's death and his possible solution to the Time Racers' problem would be enough to save him.

He forced his legs forward, feeling his facial features crease into a frown. To say he was unmoved by Hilran's death would be a lie. In his time as a lesser Heartless, he witnessed and took part in the stealing of many hearts. But that was not the same as death. He'd thought it would be, or at least similar, and it had been…so easy. Just a slash across her neck.

He'd been wrong. The horror in her eyes before the light faded…her body growing limp…it wasn't the same. It was so much worse than he'd imagined. _It had to be done, _he thought, his fist tightening around the crystal. _It was the only way._ But he couldn't get rid of the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You dared to come back here?"

The angry snarl jolted Lea out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the form of a furious Zylen stalking towards him. He swallowed hard. _No wonder they're afraid of him._ "Zylen-"

He was cut short when the Time Racer grabbed him by the throat. His eyes burned with anger. "It gets hard, and you come crawling back like a sniveling dog? You're more trouble than you're worth." His lips curled into a sneer.

"Hilran's…dead," Lea managed to choke out, voice hoarse.

Zylen blinked in surprise, his grip on his neck relaxing a bit. Then he was suddenly thrown back against a wall. "You think that's enough for me to show you mercy? You left her body there. By now, the Nobody will have a crystal."

Lea's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that. "Wait! I know a way that you can create your portal to the past!" he cried quickly, hoping to forestall his wrath.

The leader of the Time Racers stopped short. "What?"

Lea rubbed his neck, not quite daring to breath easily just yet. "Kingdom Hearts. It's a world made up of…well, hearts - that is, hearts released by the Keyblade. The Nobodies of Organization XIII tried to make it before. With Roxas's…uh, unwilling help…I managed to create it." He tried to read the dark man's eyes, but it was near impossible. "All you have to do is channel their power."

Zylen loomed over him, and he swallowed painfully. "Perhaps you still have some use. You may live." He barely had time to feel relieved before a sword was jabbed into the ground beside him. "But if you betray me…"

He got the message.

Zylen turned to leave, then glanced back at him. "You will meet Roxas when he comes here. Destroy him." As he stalked forward, he added, "This is your last chance to redeem yourself. If you fail, don't come back."

**Roxas **blinked his eyes open. His vision was blurry a few moments, before clearing to see people leaning over him. "Hi," he groaned.

"He's awake!" Shadow exclaimed. She glanced over. "Angel, come here!" The face of the former Time Racer appeared next.

"How long have I been out?" he asked, trying to sit up and wincing as he did.

"A few hours," Olette informed him.

He glanced around, seeing Hayner and Pence sitting in their own areas of the Usual Spot. He assumed the Samurais had left after the other Nobodies had disappeared. However, there was still… "Where's the King?"

Shadow and Angel exchanged glances before shrugging. "He wasn't here when we met the others," Shadow explained.

Angel pointed to the item in his hand. "You have a crystal."

"Yeah," Roxas replied, swallowing hard as he remembered exactly _how _he'd come to obtain the crystal. His fist tightened, and he closed his eyes. "Why'd Lea do it? She was already defeated."

"You know, I thought Axel would have beaten Lea," Shadow commented.

She had a point. What exactly had happened to his best friend? Just one of the many mysteries that haunted his life. But aside from the dark voice that still lurked inside of him, his mind was finally clearing. And he knew he had to return to Time Castle to save Sora, Riku, and Kairi. "Come on; let's go." He began to get out of the make-shift bed the others had made, wincing as he did so.

"Not happening," Shadow and Olette said in unison, pushing him back down.

Angel raised an eyebrow. "Surprisingly, I agree with them. You can't fight Zylen like this."

"But…what about…" he trailed off.

"Besides, we have to tell you about our Keyblades!" Shadow exclaimed.

His head shot up, eyes blinking a few times in surprise. "What?"

**Axel **kicked a stone in frustration, shooting a fireball at it almost immediately after. He'd failed. The words kept ringing through his mind. He'd failed. He gritted his teeth, kicking another stone and firing another burst of flame.

Of course, like with other Nobodies, most of the act was done simply based off the pseudo-emotions. Not real, only remembered. Yet, because of the contact with the Keyblader named Sora and his Nobody, Roxas, there was still that miniscule bit of 'true' emotion, which only fueled his remembered emotions.

"_It appears he's infected you with a tiny bit of true emotion."_

"_Oh? Then destroy me. Of course, that means you'd go too, wouldn't it?" _

"_But maybe, amidst all those fake emotions, it _is_ enough." _

The words of his Somebody echoed through his mind. He drew his leg back, ready to take it out on another stone, when he saw that it wasn't the same as the others. Bending down, he looked at the shining, gem-like item, only a few smears of something that looked oddly like dried blood on a few areas. He frowned, feeling the power within it.

He sighed. "Well, maybe I couldn't finish off Lea," he growled, "but I can still help." With that, he opened a Corridor of Darkness and traveled to the only place he thought he could be of some use.

To Time Castle.

**After **explaining to Roxas the incidents that had happened in Cyrom and forcing him to stay in bed and rest a few days, the trio were hurtling through space once more. "Wow, we're finally going back to Time Castle," Shadow commented, looking out the window of the Gummi ship.

Angel nodded. "Zylen's finally going to get what's coming to him."

Roxas nodded as well, listening to the voices of Xion and Ventus echoingthrough his mind:

We're with you, Roxas.

Time to show him what we're made of.

He smiled, glad to have their support, as well as that of the two friends that were fighting physically beside him. But beneath, he could still feel a darkness. The presence of the dark voice rose up, hissing to him, _Yes, you're going to save your Somebody and his friends. But what happens to you then?_

He gritted his teeth. _Shut up._

_You know that you'll have to return to him. You'll never be able to have your own life. So why not just leave? Let him save himself._

He forced the fog the dark voice was bringing back, looking up ahead to the world with the barrier blocking it. "Well, here we go," he murmured, pulling the crystal out of the pocket of his mended jacket (courtesy of Olette) and placing it against the wheel of the Gummi ship.

Then they hit the barrier. For a few moments, it seemed as if they wouldn't get through. "Come on," Roxas hissed under his breath, clenching the crystal tighter in his fist and pressing it harder against the wheel. Slowly, the Gummi ship pushed its way through the barrier.

Then it was hurtling through, done towards the ground of the world known as Time Castle. Roxas quickly brought the ship up, hovering a few moments before allowing it to land.

As always, Shadow was the first out. "Wow! So _this _is Time Castle!"

"Can't believed we're back," Angel commented quietly as he stepped out.

Roxas walked out last, eyes traveling over the barren world. It felt like it'd been an eternity since he'd last been here, since his journey and his Awakening had begun. And now it was coming to an end. He took a deep breath. "It's time."

As he walked forward, a strangely subdued Shadow asked, "So…what happens after this?"

"Shadow?" Angel questioned, sounding concerned.

"I mean, after we defeat the Time Racers, _then _what do we do?" She gasped, as if suddenly realizing something. "And what about Roxas? I mean, we're saving his Somebody, so…"

He stopped. He heard the sound of the dark voice hissing, _Go on; tell them. Tell them this is it for you. You're never coming back._

"I…" he trailed off, unable to keep going.

_Feeling a little regret?_

_Shut up._

"Well, look who's here." All three whipped their heads around to see a familiar red-haired man stalking towards them. "I've been waiting for you."

"They let you back in?" Roxas asked, his voice scathing.

Lea narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah, about that. I'm only back in if I get rid of you." He summoned his Chakrams, his eyes dark and his expression serious. "Time to disappear, Nobody."

He felt more than saw his friends get ready to fight beside him. "No," he said, barring them with his arms.

"But, Roxas-" Shadow protested.

He shook his head, stopping her. "This is my fight. Besides, there's not enough time for us all to be stuck here fighting. You two go on ahead; I'll catch up after I've taken care of him."

"Time is never on our side," Angel commented dryly, but didn't argue.

"Beat the crap out of him," Shadow added, a grin stretching across her face, as she followed Angel.

"Confident, aren't we, Nobody?" Lea sneered.

Roxas summoned his Keyblades, his blue eyes narrowed into a glare. "Let's finish this."

**Angel **led the way into the dark ramparts of the castle. He wove through the corridors, listening as Shadow asked, "Where are we going?"

"The dungeons," he replied. "That's probably where Zylen's keeping Sora and his friends." It wasn't long before he found the door and, grabbing a torch off the wall, slipped down into its dark depths.

He blinked in surprise as the torch's light spilled into the separate cells. "There's no one here."

"But there is someone out here!" Shadow called.

Angel whipped around in surprise. She hadn't followed him in? That wasn't like her. He raced out, summoning his newly-obtained Keyblade as he did.

He saw why she hadn't followed as soon as he emerged. She had her Keyblade gripped tightly in both hands, trying to ward off the strikes of a silver haired boy with a Keyblade of his own. "Riku," he murmured, calling up on the memories he had of the brief time he'd seen the Keybladers when they'd first arrived at Time Castle.

"Um, hi, Riku," Shadow said, forcing him back.

He had no doubt about what was going on. He'd seen this before. "Shadow, he's being controlled. The only way to stop him is to defeat the puppet master."

"Well, then go find them!" Shadow exclaimed, a wicked grin crossing her face. "I got this!"

He nodded. "Be careful," he told her before running off. There was only one man he knew who had that kind of magic: Domian.

_That's the end of chapter seventy - one. The stage is set. The final battles are coming. So…please review?_


	72. Second Chances

_Here's chapter seventy - two. The continuing poll from last week: After I finish _Guardian Twin, _should I write a story about the Keyblade War? Thank you PhantomGirl12, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, kingdomdisney, caitlinkeitorin, SkyWarrior2, Panda-Hiroko, Kamen Rider Ebon, Flightfoot, The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika, SisterOfScarletDevil, Key2DestNE, Axel'sChakrams8, roxas key6, NumberXIII, and a reader of KH and SH fanfics for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Seventy - Two: Second Chances **

Roxas lunged forward first, crossing his Keyblades in an X in front of him. Lea jumped up, avoiding the attack. Roxas spun around quickly, sending Oblivion flying without missing a beat. The black Keyblade spun through the air towards the form of its target, only to be blocked by two Chakrams. Roxas summoned his weapon back to him as Lea landed, before the two lunged towards each other once more.

For a few moments, they pushed hard against each other's weapons, neither willing to give an inch. "You're eager to finish this, aren't you?" Lea sneered.

Roxas glared at him, then summoned the rings of light around him, forcing Lea back. When the dark man was temporarily distracted, he lunged forward, Keyblades landing powerful blows across his chest. "You bastard. You killed Hilran just to get the Time Racers to like you again. All so you can be a part of their _stupid goal._"

Lea's right arm came up quickly, the barbed edges of his Chakram cutting through bloodless skin. Gritting his teeth, Roxas edged back a bit, giving Lea to opportunity to strike back. "It's not like she didn't deserve it," he growled as he tried to force the blades of his Chakrams past Roxas's Keyblades.

He took a step to the side, allowing Lea to push forward, before hitting him hard in the side with Oathkeeper, a shockwave ringing out across his opponent's body as he channeled his light powers through the weapon. "That doesn't matter!" he snarled, trying to recollect himself as Lea picked himself off from the ground. "It's wrong."

He suddenly felt blades slashing across him, and he cried out in pain as he was flung backwards. "And what would you know about right and wrong, _Nobody?_" Lea snarled. He lunged forward again, but Roxas rolled out of the way before his blades could touch him. He managed to roll back to his feet as Lea spun around and flew towards him once more. Roxas jumped up, avoiding his attack, and landed on Lea's back. He pushed off, forcing Lea to the ground and him away. He spun around in midair, landing so that he faced his opponent once more.

Lea was slowly pushing himself back to his feet, eyes narrowed. "For the record, it didn't feel good to kill her."

He couldn't help wondering if maybe Lea could have a change of heart. Considering all the time he'd spent in the darkness…he supposed it was hardly surprising he had turned out the way he was. "You don't have to work for them if you don't want to."

Emerald eyes met his in surprise. "What?"

He extended his hand. "It's you're choice; work for the Time Racers, or help us defeat them."

Lea looked down. "My…choice?"

Roxas gave him a nod. "Yeah."

His eyes looked forlorn. "Could I be forgiven…after all the wrong I've done?"

The question caught him by surprise, and he answered honestly. "I don't know."

Lea's eyes suddenly darkened. His lips pressed in a thin line, he threw one of his Chakrams at Roxas. Startled, the Nobody lifted his Keyblades. The weapon deflected off them with a metallic twang, hurtling away to impale itself into the ground. "I know what you're doing," Lea hissed, voice rough. "You're trying to trick me; let my guard down. Well, I won't fall for it!" He lifted his remaining Chakram, firing a ball of dark fire in Roxas's direction.

He lifted Oblivion and fired a sphere of light to counteract it. As the two attacks, darkness and light, collided, the dark voice hissed in the back of his mind, _Fool. You should have known better._

_You're only a monster if you choose to become one,_ Roxas retorted, fighting off the fog that was trying to cloud his mind. He was his best friend's Somebody; he'd had to at least give him a chance.

Speaking of that…"What happened when you fought Axel?"

"He couldn't finish the job," was the snarled reply. He dashed over to get his other Chakram, adding, "Wasn't ready to fade away, it seems."

"What?" Roxas yelped in surprise, and was hit with a ball of dark fire for his lapse in attention.

"Are we fighting or aren't we?" Lea snarled, lunging towards him.

Roxas kicked upward, hitting Lea in the stomach and causing him to go flying over him. As he rolled back to his feet and lunged forward, he heard the voices of Xion and Ven echo through his mind.

You're not doing this alone.

Let's do this together…just not quite like last time.

Smirking, he answered, _Ok,_ and struck at Lea, filling his weapons with the power of light. Shockwaves spanned Lea's body, and he cried out in pain and surprise. His eyes narrowed into furious slits, and he flung his Chakrams at him, their blades burning with dark fire. He couldn't call up the rings of light in time, and the weapons sliced him on either side. The dark fire burned through him, and his breath hissed out through clenched teeth.

Roll around and hit him from the back!

Hearing Ven's command echo through his head, he did as the Keyblader said. The surprise attack worked, and he managed to land a few powerful blows on the defenseless Lea before he was suddenly assaulted by dark fire. He let out a cry of pain as the searing flames burnt into him.

Suddenly, the pain began to fade. He blinked his eyes open, seeing green light around him. Xion's voice echoed through his head:

That's probably the only time I'll be able to do that. Sorry.

He smirked. _That's just fine. Thanks._

Roxas! Look out!

Ven's warning gave him enough time to lift his Keyblades to block one of Leas flying Chakrams, the blades edged with dark fire. He retaliated with a sphere of light, which hit Lea square in the chest.

An idea hit him, and he dashed to where Lea's Chakram had fallen. Lifting it with the teeth of one of his weapons, he flung it further off into the night, before spinning around and dashing back the way he'd come to intercept the charging red head. As he did, he called up the rings of light. The light magic bounced Lea back, even further away from his missing weapon than he'd been before.

Lea's lip was curled into a snarl as he jumped to his feet. "Trying to get rid of my weapons, huh?" he hissed, making a quick dash behind him.

Roxas tried to spin around in time to block him, but was too late to block the blow. He gritted his teeth against the pain and settled for landing a blow of his own. He jumped towards the man, bringing his Keyblades together and doing several summersaults through the air to add power to his next blow. The attack worked, sending Lea sprawling.

Unfortunately, he didn't stay down long. He sent several rapid blasts of dark fire at him. He was able to deflect them with his rings of light, but it gave Lea time to close in on him. When the rings disappeared, Lea was right there, his remaining Chakram slicing at him and causing him to skid backwards.

"I thought you said you wanted to end this!" Lea taunted.

"And I will!" Roxas responded, lunging forward with his weapons held to his side.

He saw Lea prepare for what he thought would be a forward attack, and smirked. He ducked low at the last second before lunging swiftly upwards, effectively avoiding Lea's Chakram and knocking the air out of him. He quickly spun around behind the dark man before he had a chance to recover. He swiped Oblivion low, bringing Lea's legs out from under him. As the Heartless-man fell, Roxas swung Oathkeeper towards the hand that still clutched a Chakram. It's teeth caught in it, and he tugged hard to try and remove it from Lea's grip.

He'd almost succeeded when he was hit with dark fire. He cried out in alarm as suddenly the fallen Lea swiped his own legs out from under him. He fell to the ground as Lea returned to his feet.

Roll backwards!

He listened to Ven's command, managing to avoid a powerful burst of dark fire. As he returned to his feet, Lea lunged forward. His Chakram met with one of Roxas's blades. The other blade swiped at Lea's midsection, sending him flying. As before, his opponent recovered quickly, and jumped high into the air.

Shoot light spheres at him!

He followed Xion's advice, shooting many pulsing spheres of light up into the air towards the form of the dark man. He tried to counteract them with balls of dark fire, but some still slipped through, pummeling his body.

A splitting pain suddenly pierced his skull. Amidst the triumphant cheers of his friends and guides, he felt the presence of the dark voice creeping inside him, trying to force its way into control. _Crush him,_ it snarled. _Destroy him. Do whatever you must to win._

_Get out_, he hissed. He could sense Ven's and Xion's excitement turn into concern.

Roxas?

What's going on?

Then he felt horror.

It's Vanitas! He's trying to-

Whatever Ven had been about to say was cut off abruptly. _You don't need them. Just finish it._

He cried out as he felt blades rip at him. "That's what you get for not paying attention," Lea hissed.

_Do it._

"Shut up!" he cried allowed. Lea's eyes narrowed, and he let out a furious cry, lunging his remaining weapon forward.

Emerald eyes widened in surprise. Oathkeeper and Oblivion were crossed across the hand that held the Chakram, blades touching the skin but not yet piercing. The two Keyblades had his arm pinned to the ground. He began to try and pull his arm out, but Roxas pressed the blades tighter against the skin, blue eyes narrowing. "You can't get out. Not if you want to keep your hand, that is."

Lea looked up at him with disdain glittering in his eyes. He could tell he was beat. "So, what are you waiting for? Destroy me."

_Do it. Finish him!_

He inhaled deeply, then struck. But it was not what the dark voice had wanted, nor what Lea had expected. He took his Keyblades and ran them up Lea's arms. When they hit his chest, he drew them quickly apart. The powerful blow sent Lea flying, and he hit the ground with a powerful thud. "You're done. I have to reason to destroy you." With those words, he stalked past the stunned man towards the castle on the horizon.

He was unaware of Lea managing to break out of his temporary stupor. The dark man lifted himself to his hands and knees, vision blurring as he clenched his Chakram tighter. "Fool." Then he lunged forward towards the Nobody's turned back.

**Axel **watched from afar as Roxas battled his Somebody. His eyes narrowed. His best friend was fighting his battle for him. He felt trapped. He couldn't go down there and destroy Lea, or he'd be gone, too. But he couldn't just leave, either. So he was left to watch.

That was supposed to be your battle.

He jumped at the sound of the voice that had guided him back to the Realm of Light. "Been a while since you spoke to me," he murmured aloud.

You don't realize how much trouble your friend is in.

His green eyes narrowed as he watched Roxas send Lea flying. The golden haired Nobody released his Keyblades and stalked past the stunned dark man. "It seems like he's doing fine to me."

It's not the troubles on the outside I worry about.

Axel blinked, about to question what that meant, when he saw Lea begin to push himself up. His eyes widened. He knew what his Somebody was about to do. He summoned one Chakram, about to throw it, when he remembered why he'd let Lea live in the first place. _If he goes, so do I._ He looked from his Chakram to the form of Lea lunging towards Roxas. It was his life, or his best friends.

He breathed out a slow breath before bringing his arm back and throwing his weapon.

**Roxas **whipped around at the sound of an agonized scream. He blinked in surprise when he saw Lea, jaws still gaping open though his screaming had stopped. In his back was impaled a very familiar Chakram. Roxas's eyes widened.

Lea's grip on his remaining Chakram slackened, and the weapon fell into the dirt at the same instant Lea fell to his knees. "Well…I guess he decided to finish me…after all." Lea looked up, a smirk crossing his face. "…You weren't bluffing, were you? About the second chance?" Stunned, Roxas shook his head. The dark man managed a small, choked laugh. "Figures." Then the light died from his eyes, and he fell to the ground. Darkness shrouded him, taking away all that remained of the dark man except for a few drops of blood.

Roxas watched as the Chakram that had been impaled in the dark man's back disappeared in flames, then turned his gaze in the direction it had come from. He saw another spiral of darkness, and thought he could just make out green eyes before they disappeared completely. He managed a small smile, feeling something squeeze inside him. "Thank you, Axel."

He took a deep breath. There would be time for remorse later. Right now, he had to focus on the Time Racers. He spun back around and, ignoring his grief, stalked back towards the dark castle on the horizon.

He froze suddenly as the landscape seemed to lighten slightly. He looked up, his eyes widening as he saw an all-too familiar heart shaped moon floating in the sky. "Kingdom Hearts."

_That's the end of chapter seventy - two. Please review?_


	73. Puppets and Puppet Masters

_This is chapter seventy - three. The winning results of last week's poll (After I finish _Guardian Twin, _should I write a story about the Keyblade War?): Yeah, that'd be awesome! O.o I hope it lives up to your expectations. This week's poll: Which of _Guardian Twin's _"bosses" did you think was best?_

_Thanks go to DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, caitlinkeitorin, Panda-Hiroko, Flightfoot, PhantomGirl12, The Infinite Dani - Chan Replika, SisterOfScarletDevil, kingdomdisney, Axel'sChakrams8, Key2DestNE, SkyWarrior2, jellybeanmania, NumberXIII, and roxas key6 for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Seventy - Three: Puppets and Puppet Masters**

Zylen's gaze turned skyward from where he stood outside of Time Castle. In the dark heavens above, glowing and beginning to come to life, was the form of what Lea had called Kingdom Hearts. "So he wasn't lying," the leader of the Time Racers hissed. He wasn't entirely sure how the heart-shaped moon had appeared above his world so suddenly; however, he didn't really care. All he knew was that he could now achieve his goals.

The dark man whipped around and stalked back into the castle. It mattered little to him whether Lea, Domian, or the mind-controlled Riku defeated their opponents. His only concern was that they kept them occupied long enough for him to harness the power of Kingdom Hearts and use it to create his portal to the past.

He strode into the great hall of the ancient stone castle. There was little lighting in the massive room, except for the flickering torches that lined the walls. At the far end stood the shadow of a large, circular object. A twisted smile curled his lips as he looked at it. He'd had Domian enchant it before he sent the other Time Racer out to help occupy Roxas and his companions. Since then, he'd moved his two remaining captives and his captured Keyblade - still hovering in its dark sphere - to the room, as well. With the Keyblade as a catalyst and Domian's magic as a conduit, the circular machine was beginning to glow with charged power. Once there was enough power, he could finally wield his captured Keyblade. He'd carry it into the portal with him, and unleash his powers. The Keyblade would respond to the power of the hearts and to the Keyblade unleashing the powers of time from within him. His powers would multiply, and he'd travel back in time. His plans would finally come to pass.

He turned his gaze to the shadowed forms of Sora and Kairi. He'd had them both chained to the wall, still unconscious. "I should kill you both now," he hissed as he looked at them. "However…I may need a backup." The twisted grin remained on his face.

He already knew the first thing he'd do. He'd go back and stop Sira's death. After he saved her, she would come with him, and together they'd change the world into one they preferred.

The smile faded at the painful memories of Sira. He shook his head, shutting his eyes tightly as he tried to force away the pain. It would all be over soon.

**Shadow **lifted her Keyblade to block Riku's strike. The Keybladers strength didn't daunt her. In fact, she was grinning. "Come on! Show me what you've got!" she exclaimed. The possessed Riku seemed to respond, pressing down harder with his Keyblade. Still grinning, Shadow slipped to the side. The force Riku had put to try and power past her resulted in him stumbling forward.

She struck out with one hand, only to remember, _Oh, yeah. I have a Keyblade now instead of claw gauntlets._ It was kind of strange, wielding a long, sword-like weapon instead of the familiar metal gloves with their trio of clawed blades. Still, the knight - whoever the heck he was - had chosen her and Angel. Besides, she wasn't going to let something as simple as a new weapon be her downfall.

She took her own misstep in stride, using the momentum to pull her forward so she could hit Riku with her Keyblade. The possessed boy didn't retaliate, and instead was sent sprawling. "Wow, I guess a puppet's only as good as the puppet master, huh?" she commented.

She was surprised by how quickly he got up. She tried to whip around to the side and avoid his Keyblade strike, but the weight of the Keyblade in her hand was unwieldy and unfamiliar. It slowed her down just enough to keep her in range for Riku's sideways slash. She was flung sideways, skidding painfully across the floor.

"Ow. Ok, need to figure this out," she groaned as she pushed herself back to her feet. She gripped her weapon tightly with one hand, trying to feel its weight in her hand and get a better idea of how to fight with it. Doing that gave Riku time to lunge forward. Remembering a move that Roxas often pulled, she tried flipping her weapon into a reverse grip and using her arm to brace her block. It was a bit trickier than her Nobody friend made it look, but she managed to perform it in time to stop the strike.

By now she was grinning again. "There's one for me!" she cried, and, to push things further, she used her legs to swipe Riku's feet out from under him.

She backpedaled, showing uncharacteristic caution. However, she wasn't quite sure how to wield her new weapon yet, and _that _made her nervous. She tried to think of the similarities between it and her claws. They were both bladed close range weapons that were wielded with her hands. "Ok, that's something," she murmured.

She tried to get back out of Riku's way as he lunged at her with a series of slashes. The Keyblade was heavier than her claw gauntlets, and she only had one. This meant that, though the weapon was powerful, it would also make her movements slower, and she couldn't use her normal dual attacks. She tried gripped the hilt with both hands as she continued to dodge Riku's blows. That made the weight easier to bare and, grinning, she swung the weapon upwards. She was able to block his next strike instead of dodging it.

However, the man controlling Riku was quick to play on the boy's greater strength. He had Riku perform a quick string of powerful blows that blew past he defenses and sent her flying. Shadow grimaced, and, as her opponent dashed towards her once more, tried using a move she'd seen Roxas use several times before. She tried to spin around with her Keyblade out to force back attacks. However, he movements were awkward, and Riku was able to jump past her defenses and send her flying with another Keyblade blow.

By now, she'd realized she'd need to do more than just get a feel for her weapon's weight if she wanted to win this; she had to find her own battling style. She chewed her lip, not liking the hesitancy she was forced to have. She wanted to rush forward and fall into the dance of battle like she usually did. However, without really knowing how to fight with her new weapon…

A light bulb went off in her head. "So why don't I?" she wondered aloud, her cheeky smile returning. After all, the best way to discover her style would be to jump in and fight. So she jumped forward, meeting Riku's strike with a block. She didn't flip the weapon into reverse this time, instead bracing it with her other hand. She pulled back, quickly dragging the hand that had braced the block back down to the hilt. Gripping it tightly with both hands, she used the weapon to stab. Riku stepped to the side to avoid it, but she was able to move quickly from the stab to a slash.

As she continued, she began to realize that perhaps she could adapt a similar style to her claw fighting with her Keyblade. She could still use the familiar stabs and slashes, even if it wasn't with the same quick maneuverability her gauntlets afforded. She began adapting more and more to the feel of the blade, finally being able to lunge forward as she was used to.

Her slash met Riku's. Knowing her opponent had the advantage of strength, she prepared to pull back, when she heard him mutter something. She blinked, then listened harder. "Help…me…"

Her eyes widened. "Oh." Her momentary distraction was enough to give him a chance to break through.

She looked up briefly. _Hurry, Angel._ As she was forced to focus on the fight once more, she couldn't help adding worriedly, _And please, be safe._

**Angel **ran onto the balcony that hid in shadows above the hallway. He knew that Domian would be hiding somewhere close by, where he could observe and control without worrying about being found. What better place than this?

His assumptions proved correct when he saw a shadow standing near the edge, torchlight from the lower halls just barely touching the Time Racer's face. Angel, seeing that Domian was distracted, decided to take a page from Shadow and charge forward. Domian didn't even have time to blink as the metal-haired boy's Keyblade slammed into him.

He barely gave him time to recover before he launched himself at him once more. He was used to the sword-like weapons, and though his daggers had been far shorter, he could hold the Keyblade in the familiar reverse grip that he could quickly switch back to normal. This quick adaptation to his new weapon allowed him to prevent Domian from using his magic and time powers for several moments.

Unfortunately, it was too good to last.

In a break between blows, Domian disappeared into a wall of mist. Angel didn't have time to react as he was kicked in the back. He went with the counterstrike instead of against it, falling into a roll and spinning back to his feet with his Keyblade held at the ready.

He couldn't see the Time Racer's face in the gloom, but he knew he'd be smirking. "Why am I not surprised you'd come back here, Angel?"

"And why am I not surprised you'd resort to low tactics like _mind control_?" Angel sneered back.

"It seems to work," Domian commented. "My little puppet down there is keeping your friend occupied."

He glared at the man, though he knew he'd never see it. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

"I don't take orders from you any more." His voice had grown darker, and mist suddenly swirled up around him. Angel was prepared this time, and dashed forward quickly, spinning around and launching himself back at the Time Racer immediately afterwards. His opponent was obviously surprised at his tactic, and as such was hit with his powerful blow.

The Time Racer fumbled, trying not to drop the Lexicon he held in his hands. Angel narrowed his eyes. He knew from past experiences that Domian could do little other magic while using mind control on another person. Without that Lexicon, he could do none.

He lunged forward once more, aiming to knock the Lexicon out of Domian's hands. Instead, he found himself cutting through mist. He spun around quickly. When Domian reappeared, his Keyblade collided with his side, sending him flying over the side of the balcony.

Angel heard a yelp of surprise come from Shadow down below him, and immediately bent over the railing, shouting down, "Shadow! Get rid of the Lexicon!"

"The _what_?"

"The book! He can't do any magic without it!"

"Ok!"

He saw Shadow lash out in the dim torchlight, her Keyblade aiming to strike through the Lexicon. However, Domian was able to teleport away before she could impale it. "Fighting me is futile," Domian scoffed. Angel saw him point towards Shadow, ordering the mind controlled Riku, "Destroy her."

Angel immediately jumped over the edge to help her fight the duo of enemies. However, it seemed as if he'd needlessly worried. Riku twitched, beginning to start forward, then suddenly whipped around. Domian jumped back in surprise, releasing the Lexicon in the process. Riku's Keyblade stabbed through it, dissipating the magic of the mind control. "I'm not…your puppet," he growled before falling unconscious.

Domian's eyes widened in surprise. "You worthless…!" He turned his gaze the two who remained conscious, his eyes narrowed. "Better to live and fight another day," he hissed, before disappearing into a wall of mist.

"So, now we find Sora, Kairi, and Zylen?" Shadow asked, dismissing her Keyblade.

"Yeah," Angel agreed, dismissing his, as well. They picked up the unconscious form of Riku and, carrying him between them, began their search again.

**Zylen **was surprised to hear the sound of a time portal opening behind him. Turning around, he quirked an eyebrow. "Domian? What are you doing back?"

"They destroyed my Lexicon," the man muttered mutinously. "They'll be coming soon."

Zylen's eyes blazed with anger in the darkness. "So that means your magic on this," he said, waving his hand towards the circular item in the back, "will stop working, too?"

"No. I bonded the magic directly to the structure."

Zylen felt relief at that statement. Then, watching Domian, he narrowed his eyes. Kisue and Hilran had already betrayed him; what if Domian was betraying him, too? He found it hard to believe that the other Time Racer would allow anyone to get close enough to destroy his Lexicon. Maybe this was all a trick; maybe he wanted the trio to get there and destroy him, so he could have all the power to himself. He could not let that happen.

The leader of the Time Racers began stalking forward, summoning his sword at his side. "You have betrayed me, Domian, by letting them escape before everything was ready."

"Sir?" Domian asked, eyes widening in the gloom.

Zylen raised his blade. "You know the price traitors must pay."

Domian's dying screams reverberated throughout the walls of Time Castle.

_That's the end of chapter seventy - three. Please review?_


	74. The Demons Within

_Here's chapter seventy - four - aka, the battle with Zylen, part 1. The winning results of last week's poll (Which _Guardian Twin _"boss" did you think was best?): Cerberus. This week's poll: Which interpretation of the title _Guardian Twin _do you think is most significant? _

_Thank you kingdomdisney, caitlinkeitorin, Axel'sChakrams8, BeautifulShadowsKeybearer1317, SisterOfScarletDevil, Flightfoot, LilWitching, roxas key6, Panda-Hiroko, and Graphicsnerd for reviewing last chapter! _

**Chapter Seventy - Four: The Demons Within**

Zylen tried to call to some of the lesser Time Racers to move Domian's body, only to discover that none would come. His eyes narrowed, and he considered destroying them, as well. However, the rational part of his brain informed him that they were more likely too afraid to come out. Deciding to ignore his paranoia this time, he picked up the limp body of the dead Time Racer and moved it into a shadowed part of the room.

He had a sick taste in his mouth as he returned to the center of the Great Hall. Everything he'd worked so hard to achieve was beginning to fall apart. He heard a soft splash as his foot landed in Domian's blood on the stone floor. He looked down, his eyes growing dark. He tried to detach himself from his emotions, as he had every other time. It made it so easy to do what he needed; he just had to remind himself it was all to bring Sira back. However, he was not a Nobody. He couldn't perform the task perfectly, and every time, a small twinge of guilt remained. He buried it with the rest, his face sour.

He was not foolish enough to ignore that saving Sira was no longer his only goal. However, he did try to deny, with everything he had, that she would never go along with his plans. He'd worked hard, ever since he'd put his plans into action by taking Angel's position as leader, to convince himself that Sira would feel so grateful to him after he saved her that she'd change the worlds alongside him. Most of the time, he could tell himself it was true. However, there were several times when, left alone, he felt all too empty. Deep in his heart, he knew she was too pure. She would sooner die than help him. The idea tore him up inside. The greatest betrayal of all.

He shook his head, looking to the Keyblade that still floated in its sphere of darkness. It had been here when he and the others had first arrived at Time Castle. He'd found it, hiding in the sphere of darkness, though he hadn't fully understood what it was then. He'd decided to keep it hidden from the others. When trying to figure out how to access the past and change it, he'd thought that, perhaps, he could use the mysterious weapon to amplify their powers. He'd hoped it would resonate with their hearts; now, it had so many more to resonate with. This couldn't fail.

He lifted his head. "But what does it matter if I lose everything?" It took him a few moments to realize the quite words had been his, and when he did, he shook his head forcefully. "What am I saying? If I can change the past, I can just get everything back." But if he'd decided to look deep enough, he would have realized that it wasn't enough. The sick feeling remained in his mouth.

He hissed through gritted teeth, grinding the toe of his boot into Domian's blood. He spun around, eyes narrowed dangerously as he watched the door in the glittering torchlight. The portal pulsed eerily behind him. Now all he could do…was wait.

**Roxas **looked nervously around the abandoned halls of Time Castle. The scream he'd heard…he swallowed hard. There was no question; it had been Zylen's doing. He knew he had to find the dark leader of the Time Racers soon. Shadow and Angel, too; they needed to face him together.

_What do you need them for? You're strong; they'll only slow you down._

Roxas gritted his teeth at the sound of the dark voice. _Shut up._

_You know I'm telling the truth._

Roxas forcibly ignored the sound of the voice, walking silently through the halls. As apprehension set in, he summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion, ready to attack at a moment's notice. He spun them a few times, eyes warily trying to peer into the shadows that seemed to haunt this world.

He jumped at the sound of footsteps. The dark voice hissed a command, and he lunged forward without pausing to think.

When he saw who it was, however, he brought himself to an abrupt halt, nearly tripping over himself in the process. "Roxas!" Shadow and Angel exclaimed in unison.

"Sorry, I-" he paused, quirking an eyebrow at who was supported between his two friends. "What are you doing with Riku?"

"Domian mind controlled him. But when his lix…lux…book-thingy was destroyed, he passed out. And we didn't want to leave him there."

"I'm guessing you heard that scream, too?" Angel asked.

Roxas nodded. "So…was that you guys?"

Angel shook his head. "But I bet I know who caused it." A grim smile etched itself onto his mouth. "At least we have one less enemy to fight, with Domian dead." Though his eyes were dark, he shook his head, asking, "What about Lea?"

"Pff, obviously Roxas kicked his butt!" Shadow grinned.

Roxas sagged. "I beat him. I tried to offer him a second chance, but he didn't take it."

"So you destroyed him," Angel said.

He shook his head. "No. Axel did." His throat closed up. "And…he went with him."

The two gave him sympathetic looks. "I'm sorry," Shadow said. She released Riku to give Roxas a comforting hug.

"Hey! Shadow!" Angel exclaimed as he was left to support Riku by himself.

"What? Are you _jealous_?" Shadow asked, grinning.

"No," Angel sighed, rolling his eyes.

Shadow's grin broadened. "Group hug!" And, despite her two companions' protests, she enforced it. The two boys looked at each other before breaking down and laughing. However, what Roxas had seen in his two friends' eyes was the same he knew reflected in his own. Despite the laughter, they knew the end was drawing near.

_Your end, especially._

He tried to ignore the dark voice.

Shadow released them and once again helped Angel support Riku. "So, where do you think, Angel?" Roxas asked the former Time Racer.

"The Great Hall," Angel replied. "It's big, but dark. Since Zylen's obviously expecting us, that would be the battlefield he'd choose to fight on."

Roxas nodded. "Lead the way."

The trio walked in silence through the dark hallways. It seemed too short a time before Angel led them through a broad, extravagant opening into a wide room, where the only light came from the flickering torches and the glowing portal in the back. His eyes caught sight of shadowed figures pinned to the far wall. He knew immediately who they must be. "Sora! Kairi!"

"Roxas. Angel. Shadow." The voice said their names with crisp, precise sounds. Three pairs of eyes turned to look at the man standing in the center of the room. Bathed in the faint glow of the portal and the shadows, he had a ghostly look. As he lifted his head, his eyes reflected the same feel. "I've been waiting."

Shadow and Angel left Riku outside the door so he wouldn't get hurt in the battle they all knew was about to begin. The two were somber as they returned. Roxas's blue eyes were locked with Zylen's. Silently, they sized each other up; challenged each other. This was it, then. The final battle.

Zylen abruptly summoned his sword, lunging forward with it drawn sharply back. Roxas's arms shot up, Keyblades catching Zylen's sword between them. Zylen hissed with frustration, pressing harder against his defense. While the dark leader of the Time Racers was distracted, Angel slipped to Zylen's side and, summoning his Keyblade, gave him a powerful strike to the side. This forced him to go flying to where Shadow was waiting on the opposite side. She summoned her own Keyblade, landing a powerful hit across him. Roxas took his turn, lunging forward with his Keyblades crossed. He drew them quickly out, sending his light powers through them as he did. Twin shockwaves raced across Zylen's body as the dark man was sent flying.

As the dark man began to push himself up, Roxas noticed that there was something red staining his face and part of his clothes. He grew sick when he realized the blood did not belong to the dark man. "Well played," he hissed. "You three working together seems like it should over power me, doesn't it?" His face contorted into a sneer. "Well, you didn't take into account a few things."

And suddenly he was gone into a swirl of mist. All three looked around nervously, eyes trying to strain through the darkness that surrounded them. They may have greater numbers, but that simply meant that Zylen had more places he was likely to appear.

Shadow was the first to let out a yelp. "Shadow!" Angel cried in alarm, beginning to rush forward.

"I'm Ok!" she called back, her face colored by the dim torchlight. Then her eyes widened at the same time Roxas's did. "Angel, look out!"

Her warning was too, late, however, and Angel was hit by Zylen's blow next. He disappeared before the trio had time to retaliate. Roxas backpedaled, figuring he was the next target.

He wasn't wrong. He felt the steel slide by, cold on his cheek. He ducked under it, firing a sphere of light in Zylen's general direction as he did so. He heard the sound of a time portal, and knew he'd been too slow.

Suddenly there was cold metal at his throat. "This is your end, Nobody."

Roxas gritted his teeth, calling up his light powers once more. "Not quite." With that, he unleashed the rings of light. They illuminated Zylen and forced him back. "Now!"

Angel and Shadow were quick to react, both jumping forward. Shadow made a few stabbing motions that turned into slashes, like she would have with her claw gauntlets. Her attacks forced him towards Angel, who hit him with a powerful backward slash. Roxas brought both his Keyblades together into an X, and, when Angel hit Zylen with a second blow, used the weapons to send Zylen flying up into the air. He fired a sphere of light up into the air after him.

Zylen, however, recovered quickly. He slashed through the sphere with his sword. Roxas could swear he saw a smirk on the dark man's face as he disappeared once more between times.

He heard the time portal open, but could tell what direction it came from. He tried to call upon the rings of light once more, but was too slow. He felt Zylen's blows slice into him. His friends moved, and he himself tried to retaliate, but Zylen was gone before he could.

_That was sloppy work._

_He has the advantage in this environment, _Roxas hissed in response, trying to pinpoint where he was next. He heard Angel's alarmed cry, and tried to go and help him, but Zylen disappeared once more.

_Then you should let me help._

For a moment, the idea was tempting. Then Shadow's cry broke through his thoughts, and he hissed angrily back, _Never._

When Zylen disappeared once more, he cried, "We need to stick together!"

The two immediately moved close to him, their backs inward. When Zylen appeared next, they were ready to deflect the blow. All the while, they were planning. "Hey, Angel, do you think we could follow him back in time?" Shadow hissed.

"I can't use my powers _and _wield a Keyblade, remember?" Angel responded as he blocked a blow.

"I know, but you were able to take Roxas back in time when you grabbed onto him, and he wields a Keyblade." She had to stop talking and ward off Zylen's blows as he reappeared.

Angel's eyes glowed. "That might work."

"Get ready," Roxas hissed. Zylen soon appeared, right before Roxas. He warded off his blows, watching carefully for when the dark man would begin to disappear between times. He saw the faint traces of mist begin to appear around him, and shouted, "Now!" His hand lashed out, grabbing Zylen's arm. At the same moment, Shadow's and Angel's hands grabbed him.

Suddenly, they were hit with cold air as they disappeared between times. Zylen's eyes were wide with shock. As the image of the past appeared, Roxas lifted one Keyblade and fired a sphere of light in Zylen's direction. It sent the Time Racer sprawling backwards.

"Where are we?" Shadow asked.

Roxas looked around, recognizing where they were with a pang. "The World That Never Was," he replied, looking at the glowing grave stones for the Organization members. He watched as Sora walked out of one, followed by his friends.

He was forced to return his attention back to the fight as Zylen lunged forward. He blocked the blow, then made rapid slashes with his dual blades. Inside, however, he heard the dark voice, hissing the words he kept trying to ignore, _You know what will happen to you when this fight is over._

He gritted his teeth, continuing his onslaught against the Time Racer's leader. _Go away._

Zylen's eyes were narrowed into furious slits as he was forced backwards. Then a broad smile crossed his face. "You fools! If Angel truly can't time travel anymore," Zylen hissed, indicating he'd heard their conversation, "then if I leave, you're stuck here forever!"

"Grab him!" Roxas cried in alarm as he saw the mist begin to swirl up around the dark leader of the Time Racers. The trio lunged forward, just managing to latch onto him before he transported away from the scene.

The next place they found themselves at was Destiny Islands. Roxas watched as a strange man with brown hair extended a Keyblade to a young Riku. He remembered the man from Sora's memories, and a woman with blue hair, too. The dark voice recoiled, hissing with anger inside him. He felt Ven fill with rejoice.

Terra. Aqua.

_Where have you guys been?_ Roxas asked silently, turning to Zylen and trying to strike him with his Keyblades.

We were having-

_They've abandoned you,_ the dark voice interrupted. _Just like everyone else._

_Not everyone,_ Roxas replied, frustration glittering inside him as he and his friends danced around Zylen. Unfortunately, the dark man was a good swordsman.

_But they'll have no choice at the end of this, will they?_

_Leave me alone!_

Zylen began to initiate another time transfer. The three once again grabbed him, and were once again flung into another vision of the past.

_You know you don't want to go back into Sora. You know you want your own life. So let me give it to you._

The words, much as he hated to admit it, were tempting. He found himself struggling not to agree as he fought the mist in his mind. Then he heard two gasps, and the mist cleared a bit. "No…not here," Angel whispered.

"I didn't mean to go back to this," Zylen growled.

"Oh, no," Shadow murmured, going to comfort Angel despite the battle that should've still been raging. Roxas turned his eyes to the scene to figure out why it wasn't.

He saw someone struggling in an odd structure. Electrical pulses ran along her body, and she opened her mouth in silent screams of pain. It took a few moments before everything sunk in. This, then, was the death of Angel and Zylen's first love, Sira.

He suddenly found himself getting flung backwards. He let out a cry of alarm, twisting his body to face Zylen. His eyes were wild with anger and pain. "This is all your fault," he hissed, his voice sounding manic. "Everything was going fine, until you interfered. I'll make you pay."

Roxas's eyes narrowed, and he called up his rings of light, firing a sphere of light at the dark man directly afterwards. The two attacks sent the dark man flying.

"Sira." He jumped at the voice, and spun around, wondering how Zylen had gotten back over there so quickly. Then his eyes widened. It was Zylen, yes, but it was Zylen from the past; from when he'd killed Sira. He was in deep shadow, so it was nearly impossible to see him from a distance. But up close, Roxas could see the pained expression and the horror and grief glittering in his eyes. That, and there'd been no mistaking what he'd heard in his voice.

Zylen had never meant to kill Sira.

Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. He turned to look back at Zylen, feeling something akin to sympathy fill him. Then he saw Zylen was once more beginning to disappear between times. The trio jumped forwards once more, grabbing onto him. As they went through time once more, he heard the dark voice hiss, _Sympathy? He just tried to leave you trapped between times again. Good thing we won't be trying to time travel again too soon._

Roxas blinked his eyes in surprise. _Huh? Why?_

_After reliving that, I doubt he's ready to._

They appeared back in the present, just as the dark voice predicted. Roxas flung Zylen off and away. Dark eyes glared at him, making him shiver. If looks could kill, he'd have a fate worse than death. "You think you can win so easily? Well, I'll beat you even without my powers!" With that, he slunk back into the darkness.

Roxas gritted his teeth, looking around nervously. The dark leader of the Time Racers could appear anywhere, just as he had when he'd been using the time portals. Inside, he felt the dark voice raging. _Let me out! The darkness is _my _domain!_

The force of the dark voice's power battered him, and he nearly crumpled. He'd never felt it so strong before. Then he heard Shadow say, "Geez, we could really use some light right now."

His eyes widened. "Light," he whispered. He found himself reaching deep inside him. He could just feel the light of Xion and Ven, pulsing nearby, and the light of his friends behind him. He felt the light of Sora, Kairi, and even Riku, unconscious though they may be. He pulled himself fully erect, glowing with power. "Give me light!" he roared.

He hovered in the air, and light exploded around him. It illuminated the entire room, allowing Shadow and Angel to pinpoint Zylen. Together, they lunged, attacking the Time Racer's leader who was devoid of his camouflage in the blinding light.

However, inside of him, Roxas felt the dark voice battering away at his defenses. As he slowly released the light and lowered to the ground, mist clouded his mind more and more. The darkness that settled once more seemed perfectly natural to him. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes were flickering between blue and yellow.

He lunged forward, Keyblades slashing at Zylen. The Time Racer seemed surprised he could see him, and tried to ward off his blows. However, with the added power of the dark voice, he was able to overpower Zylen, sending him sprawling into a pool of torchlight.

He heard the dark voice whisper, _Come on; destroy him now. You'll never have to return to Sora this way. You can live your own life._ He made a mild protest, but the dark voice quickly cut it off, hissing, _Remember what happened the last time you showed mercy? Finish him!_

His eyes flared fully yellow as the dark voice took control, and a sadistic smirk curled his lips. He stalked forward to stand above the dark man, who glared up at him. He thought he heard a faint gasp, but ignored it, knowing he had to strike before Zylen could recover and retaliate. He raised Oblivion, bringing it down to impale Zylen.

Then the images of Hilran's death and the words of Xion's vision pulsed in his mind. He heard his own words, "Don't you trust me?" But, above all that, he heard the voices of Angel and Shadow, calling out for him to stop. And, suddenly, he felt himself struggling once more. _No!_

The Keyblade halted just before it could impale the dark man. Pupils shrunk in eyes that were once more changing between blue and yellow. _You fool! What are you doing?_ the dark voice hissed.

And suddenly, they were no longer in Time Castle, but in the hall of mirrors Roxas had once seen in a dream. He was standing before the mirror he once had before. This time, it was not his own image reflected, but that of a boy clothed in a black skin-tight suit with red veins. Though a mask hid the boy's head, he knew this must be the owner of the dark voice. He looked defiantly into the hidden eyes of his tormentor. "I'm stopping you."

A deranged laugh escape the figure in the mirror before him. "Stopping me? Do you really think you're that strong?"

"Not alone," he whispered. "But, with my friends beside me…" His mind strayed to everyone he'd ever held dear, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You can't beat us all."

There was a snort of contempt. "So much like Ventus. It's annoying, actually."

"And maybe that's what makes us stronger!" Roxas responded fiercely. He lashed a fist out, regardless of the fact that he no longer held a Keyblade within it. His fist hit the glass.

Before his eyes, the image of the masked boy shattered into thousands of pieces.

He heard Ven's voice echo through his mind,

I feel him…he's merging with me once more.

_He came from you?_

It was a side effect, I think, from when you an I combined our powers. …I'm sorry we couldn't help you before, but Vanitas was growing stronger.

_Vanitas?_

The dark voice. …Listen, Vanitas may not trouble you anymore, but Zylen's not down yet.

"I know," Roxas replied aloud, "and I'll beat him on my own terms." This time, it was Xion who responded,

Just remember, Roxas; even if you can't hear us or see us, we're still with you.

**Angel **and Shadow watched as Roxas's Keyblade stopped just short of impaling the leader of the Time Racers. Zylen pushed himself back, out of reach of Roxas's weapons. "What's wrong with him?" Shadow whispered.

Angel shrugged, eyes glittering with worry. "I don't know."

Suddenly, the Nobody groaned. His Keyblades clattered to the floor and disappeared, and he clutched his head. The two didn't need prompting to go and help support their friend.

It wasn't much longer before his eyes flickered opened, completely blue once more. "Shadow? Angel?" he groaned.

Shadow grinned her usual grin. "Welcome back."

"No…it can't be over." Three heads turned at the sound of Zylen's voice. He looked at them, then to the Keyblade shrouded in darkness, then to the portal. "I can…I can still go back. I can change everything." He whipped around, dashing for the Keyblade and pulling it out of the shadows, before running towards the portal.

Roxas's eyes suddenly flared. "No!" he cried in alarm. Breaking free of his friends and ignore their cries, he raced after Zylen into the portal.

Shadow and Angel immediately tried to follow. However, before they could, the light blinked out. They gaped, looking at each other with wide eyes. "What happened?" Shadow exclaimed.

"I don't know," Angel replied. However, they both knew two things; they were trapped out here, and Roxas and Zylen were trapped inside.

_And there's the end of chapter seventy - four. One more chapter to go. Be prepared…and please review? _


	75. End of Time

_Sorry this is late! I kept getting an error when I tried to upload it..._

_So…here's the final chapter. The winning results of last week's poll (What interpretation of the title _Guardian Twin _do you think is most significant?): The connection between Roxas and Ventus._

_Thank you KeybladeMaster97, Aereyia Hikari, Flightfoot, Panda-Hiroko, PhantomGirl12, BeautifulShadowsKeybearer1317, Axel'sChakrams8, The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika, roxas key6, kingdomdisney, Destiny's Call, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Graphicsnerd, SisterOfScarletDevil, Librax15, two anonymous reviewers, and SkyWarrior2 for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Seventy - Five: End of Time**

Light flared around Roxas as the Nobody followed Zylen headlong into the portal to the past. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to shield them from the blaze. When he opened them again, he saw nothing but swirling patterns of black, white, and gray. Nothing, that is, except for Zylen.

The leader of the Time Racers was looking around wildly, eyes flickering oddly. "No…this isn't right!" He paced a few steps, looking agitated and nervous. "I was supposed to appear in the past, not…this place." _And what _is _this place?_ Roxas asked silently, though he was sure Zylen knew as little as he did.

Then he saw the metal-haired man's eyes widen. "The portal," he whispered. "It must not have been complete yet." He shook his head. "No matter; I can just use my powers to get back."

"It won't work," Roxas informed him before he tried.

Zylen whipped around in surprise. "You followed me?"

"You can't wield a Keyblade and have time powers," Roxas continued, ignoring Zylen's comment.

His lips curled into a sneer. "We'll see about that." With that, he tried to call upon his powers and escape. Roxas watched grimly as he failed. Zylen growled with frustration. "Then I'll get rid of it!" he hissed, tossing the Keyblade. It skidded noiselessly across an invisible floor, but didn't disappear, as Keyblades normally did. Once more, he tried. Once more, he failed.

The leader of the Time Racers lifted his head and gave a cry of frustration. "There has to be a way out of here!" He looked around frantically, as did Roxas, but neither could see a possible means of escape.

"Looks like we're trapped here," Roxas informed him. He turned his eyes to the Time Racer, who met his gaze with flaring anger. "There's no where left to run."

"Fine," Zylen hissed through gritted teeth. He took a few paces backwards. "Then I'll just have to compensate…BY DESTROYING YOU!" He flipped backwards to where the Keyblade still rested, grabbing it up in his hands and dashing forward.

Roxas immediately raised his hands, calling on his Keyblades. So he was surprised when nothing, not even a glimmer, appeared. "What?" he yelped in surprise, just before he was hit with a powerful strike from Zylen's weapon.

As he landed, he heard Zylen sneer, "Seems as if we've both had something taken away from us." Roxas grimaced, pushing himself up onto his elbows and raising one hand, attempting to call upon his light powers. As before, there was nothing. _Is being in the portal interfering? _

He rolled out of the way as Zylen brought his Keyblade down in a powerful overhead strike. _Xion…Ven…_ he whispered silently. However, he felt an emptiness where he normally felt their presence. A sick taste grew in his mouth. No weapons, no powers, no friends, no escape. He closed his eyes tightly in frustration. Right now, things seemed pretty hopeless.

His eyes remained closed as Zylen hit him with his Keyblade again, sending him flying to land on the floor that wasn't really there. For a few moments, he contemplated just staying down.

Then he reminded himself of the whole reason he followed Zylen in the first place. _I have to keep him from causing any more damage._ His eyes flicked back open, and he began pushing himself back to his feet. _No matter how hopeless it seems, I have to keep fighting. For them. _His mind was filled with images of his friends, and he reached into his pocket, where Xion's seashell still rested. _For everyone._

Zylen was looking at him with contempt worn on his face like a mask. "What's the matter, Roxas?" he sneered. "I expected more of a fight from you."

"Then I'll give you one!" he cried, lunging forward.

The Time Racer was too surprised to react as the Nobody rammed himself into his stomach. He quickly backpedaled, away from Zylen's weapon as he tried to make a counterattack. He tried to dash around him and attack from behind, but found that Zylen, even without his powers, was fast. So he went directly in, ducking low as the Time Racer swung his Keyblade. He spun low and lashed one leg out, bringing Zylen's legs out from under him. The Time Racer fell to the ground, and Roxas immediately tried to disarm him.

He was stopped by a kick to his stomach that knocked the breath out of him and sent him sprawling. Zylen sprang to his feet, teeth clenched in frustration, and dashed forward, intending to impale the Nobody. Roxas was able to just roll out of the way in time, leaving the weapon to hit the invisible ground. He once more tried to sweep Zylen's feet out from under him. This time, however, the Time Racer was prepared for that tactic, and jumped into the air to avoid it. He flipped, gripping his weapon with both hands. Roxas rolled backwards, using the momentum to carry him back to his feet. When Zylen landed, Keyblade slashing through thin air, he dashed forward once more, intending to hit Zylen's head. The Time Racer managed to pull away before the strike could make contact.

Roxas, however, didn't intend to just stick with his fists. He swung out a kick, which hit Zylen across the face. Zylen's eyes glimmered with rage, and he blocked Roxas's next kick with his Keyblade. The jolt that ran up his leg caused him to stumble, and Zylen used that to force him backwards, nearly sending him on his back once more.

From there, the Time Racer went into a series of fast, powerful strikes that forced Roxas continually backwards, ever conscious of the blur of a weapon that was trying to cut him through. For a few of the blows, he managed to keep up the act, ducking away from the swinging blade. Eventually, the metal began to scrape across bloodless skin, before finally landing a few powerful hits at the end of the combo.

He wasn't through, however. While Zylen paused for breath at the end of his combo, Keyblade held low, he lunged forward. He ran straight for a while, then sidestepped, giving the dark man a glancing blow to the shoulder that knocked him off balance. This finally allowed him to slip behind him, pulling his legs out from under him once more. As he hit the ground, the Keyblade gripped in his hands flew, spinning, into the air.

Now was his chance. He quickly jumped, feeling a surge of triumph as he felt his fingers brush the hilt of the weapon. They began to curl around it, familiar to the feel of a Keyblade.

Suddenly, he felt something grab his leg and tug him down. That brief surge of triumph faded like mist under the morning light as his loose grip was wrenched free and he was brought back down. As he landed, the Keyblade spun more rapidly, until it landed, hilt up, nearby.

His eyes flicked to it. It was close; he still had a chance. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, reaching out his hand and trying to scramble towards the weapon.

He felt all hope drain out of him as a different hand grasped the hilt and pulled the weapon up. Zylen glared dark fire at him as he began to bring the Keyblade down towards his opponent. Roxas quickly lifted his hands, grabbing the blade of the weapon between them. He slowly began to push himself back to his feet, struggling against its wielder's power.

He saw the Time Racer sneer at him before he gave a powerful swing. The move caught Roxas off guard, and he was forced to relinquish his hold, flying some distance before coming to a halt. "You have nothing left," Zylen growled to him, "and yet you're still fighting."

"Yeah," Roxas replied, lifting himself to his feet once more.

"Why?" One eyebrow rose in question. "What's the point of continuing to fight, if there's nothing left to you? Even if you win, you can never escape."

"What's the point?" Roxas repeated. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly, before they flicked back open to look at the dark man that stood before him. "I made a promise. A promise to free my friends and to stop you from causing harm to the worlds." He lifted himself tall, panting and steeling himself for what he knew was to come. "And regardless of what happens, I'm going to keep that promise."

Zylen's eyes narrowed. "You over-confident little fool." He brought his Keyblade back, lunging forward. Roxas braced himself for the blow.

Time suddenly seemed to slow. He blinked a few times, watching as Zylen suddenly seemed to be moving in slow motion towards him before stopping completely. "Huh?" he exclaimed in surprise.

You are not as alone as you may think.

He jumped, looking around wildly. That wasn't a voice that he was familiar with. "Who are you? _Where _are you?"

I…am someone who's been trapped here for many, many years. Trapped between times.

He blinked in surprise as he saw the faint outline of a person appear before him, though no details could be made out. "What do you want with me?" he asked quietly.

He saw the faint outline of a head lift up, and he assumed that eyes, even though he couldn't see them, were boring into his. He shivered, suddenly feeling as if his soul was being bared for this odd being to see. The voice spoke again,

You have proven yourself to me. You are worthy to wield the Keyblade, and, I believe, the true power that comes with it.

He blinked in surprise. "Th-thanks, but…" he shook his head. "What are you saying?"

…That I will share my power with you. If, that is, you accept it.

One ghostly hand extended, an imploring invitation for an alliance. Roxas looked from the hand to its owner. He found that, somewhere inside him, he trusted this person. So, slowly, he reached his own hand out to grip the figure's.

Time restarted as their hands met. Zylen continued his lunge forward, only to come into contact with a blinding light that flared up from where two beings touched. Roxas was oblivious to this, only noticing the images and sensations that were suddenly coursing through his mind and body.

In his mind's eye, he saw the image of a great battle. Keyblades clashed, their blades singing in a massive battle. A figure completely clad in armor and wielding an odd Keyblade dashed out into the battle, fighting his way through the throng. The image was brief, and the only one of many that he could hold onto and remember, but it was enough to bring up memories of his own; ones that seemed like forever ago now:

_"These massive creatures of darkness came to the world, attacking Xeiruwe. The Silver Fang fought, but they were no match for all of the dark creatures. In the end, nearly all were killed."_

_"Nearly?" _

_"Only one was able to survive. His name was Gillick Nogard, a new warrior. When it seemed as if there was no hope, that the dark creatures would destroy them, he ran to get the Silver Fang's secret weapon." _

"A Keyblade from the Realm of Nothing," Roxas murmured, finishing the memory and drawing himself out. Immediately, he knew who he was talking to. "You're Gillick, aren't you?"

The power flowing through and around him began to settle. The figure didn't give him a direct answer, instead saying,

I lend my armor and Keyblade to you.

The gray, black, and white armor settled over the Nobody. The only part of him that wasn't covered was his head, though the armor that now settled around him was surprisingly light. In his hand, a Keyblade materialized, its teeth resembling his Nobody thorn charm. The blade was dull gray, with spirals of black and white spikes circling it and forming the hilt and guard.

Use them wisely.

_Thank you,_ Roxas murmured silently.

Don't think I'm the only one helping you. Even though you're friends can't be physically here with you, they are in spirit.

Roxas smiled, thinking of Shadow and Angel and how they'd helped him break free of Vanitas. _I know._ As the form of Gillick began to fade, he heard him whisper some final words,

Let them give you wings.

He closed his eyes briefly, the smile still on his face. Then his eyes flicked back open, the smile slowly fading, as he turned his cerulean eyes to Zylen. The Time Racer looked stunned. "B-but…how did you…?"

"I told you," Roxas said, lifting his head, "I'll keep my promise." He felt new power rising in him, coursing like blood through his veins. "For my friends!" Light pulsed behind him, spreading out from his back. Long, glowing feathers formed, stretching and growing until they became true wings. He almost laughed. When Gillick had said to let his friends give him wings, he'd obviously meant it literally. He wasn't about to question how it happened.

Zylen's fury was apparent. "If you think that makes you stronger, think again!" the Time Racer snarled. He gripped his Keyblade with both hands. "I'll defeat you, regardless!"

Roxas whipped out the Keyblade from the Realm of Nothing. The two weapons met in a sharp clang and a flurry of sparks. They forced against each other a few moments, neither giving an inch, before drawing back. Zylen flipped his Keyblade so that the point was set to impale the Nobody. He flapped his new-found wings, allowing them to lift him into the air and avoid the attack.

He hovered above the Time Racer a few moments, remembering how he had done the exact same thing when he'd battled Sora in the Station of Awakening. That time, he'd lost. But not this time. He flapped his wings a few times, diving down with his Keyblade ready to strike. Zylen quickly lifted his in retaliation. Roxas quickly pushed back, flying around to try and strike him from the other side. Zylen whipped around, managing to block him just in time. They went on like this for a few moments longer, striking and blocking, Zylen finally forced onto the defensive.

The eyes of the Time Racer's leader darkened with frustration. As Roxas tried to move around to his other side once more, he jumped backwards, spinning with his Keyblade out in a similar manor to the Nobody. This caused his opponent to cut through empty air instead of once more hear the clang of metal striking metal. He flapped his wings, quickly trying to right himself.

Zylen was quick to take the opportunity. He lunged forward, Keyblade lashing out to strike him. It hit the armor that now protected him, leaving barely a scratch on it. The Time Racer, however, would not be satisfied with one blow, and continued his assault, trying to use his speed and power to its fullest. He swung in rapid arcs and wide sweeps, attempting to break through the armor. Slowly, he was beginning to succeed.

Roxas wasn't about to let him finish the job. He swung one wing forward. Zylen's Keyblade hit the feathers of light instead of armor, and Roxas quickly pushed the wing outward, the action forcing both apart.

The golden haired Nobody dashed forward on foot, Keyblade drawn back. Zylen's head jerked up as he approached. He raised his weapon, blocking the incoming blow. He danced away, trying to hit the Nobody from the side. Roxas sidestepped and jumped into the air, diving down quickly with his wings folded close and Keyblade set to impale the Time Racer. He found his blows matched, and he skidded a few feet across the ground.

Zylen jumped forward this time, gripping his weapon with both hands and bringing down in a powerful overhead slash. Roxas raised the Keyblade from the Realm of Nothing to block the blow. Zylen glared death at him, and began to go into his drawn-out combo. The Nobody knew better than to let him finish. He ducked low, sweeping his legs out from under him. He recovered quickly, rolling back to his feet and lunging forward at the same time Roxas did. Their Keyblades met once more in a powerful burst of sparks.

The two glared at each other over their weapons, neither willing to give an inch. "You think this makes you strong? You're wrong. _I'm _still the stronger."

Roxas's eyes narrowed. "You don't know what true strength is."

He pulled back abruptly, jumping into the air. He beat his wings once, then flipped and folded them once more, gripping the Keyblade with both hands to bring it down in a powerful strike. Zylen scurried backwards, but though his was able to dodge the first blow, he wasn't prepared for the second that landed painfully in his midsection. The Time Racer was sent flying, trying desperately to stop himself so that he could fight back.

Roxas didn't give him the chance. He swung his Keyblade out, hitting Zylen's midsection and sending him flying into the air. His wings snapped open, and he jumped after him. He pummeled the Time Racer with powerful strikes. Zylen, helpless in this terrain, could do nothing but endure the hits as he was tossed about in the air.

As Roxas paused in his combo, Zylen finally got his opportunity to counterattack. He turned his Keyblade so that the point faced towards the Nobody, and let gravity to the work. Roxas wasn't quick enough to dodge, and the Keyblade hit him. A triumphant grin flashed across the Time Racer's face, but it quickly faded when he saw his strike had been blocked by Roxas's armor which, though dented, was amazingly still intact. It was a good thing, too; that blow would have most likely been the end of him.

Zylen let out a cry of fury. "Why don't you just fade away?" he snarled. He used the Nobody's chest to brace his feet against, pushing off it and further into the air. The force pushed Roxas down further, and made it so he was unprepared when Zylen flew down towards him once more. The next swing of the Time Racer's stolen Keyblade connected with his shoulder, causing a part of the armor to finally break away and go flying. Once more, Zylen used Roxas as a means to jump higher into the air, once more directing his fall so that he could strike at him with all the force of gravity. Once more, a piece of armor went flying.

He gritted his teeth, this time bracing himself. When Zylen fell towards him once more, he was prepared. He lifted his Keyblade and blocked the blow. Zylen, without wings, was helpless in the air, and would soon begin to fall. "I can't afford to fade yet," he growled, responding to the dark man's previous comment.

He lifted a leg, kicking Zylen and sending him towards the ground once more. The leader of the Time Racers fell aimlessly through the air for a few moments, before rolling as he landed to return to his feet. Both warriors were panting, and Roxas knew that the two battles, the one in Time Castle and the one between times, were taking a huge toll on them. Slowly, he let himself return to the ground.

Zylen glared at him with hate-filled eyes as his feet touched 'ground' once more. "You bastard," he hissed. He gripped his weapon with both hands, lunging forward and screeching a battle cry, "I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

Roxas spread his wings of light wide. Memories began pouring into his mind; memories of everyone he'd met on his journey… "No," he whispered, "because you fight alone."

…Ventus and Xion, his ever present guides…

His wings flapped, crossing in an X in front of him, before he quickly spread them wide once more.

…Axel, his best friend, and his Somebody, Lea…

Light flared from them, enveloping both fighters. Through it, Roxas kept his eyes open.

…Sora, his own Somebody, Riku, Kairi…Namine…

He could just barely see Zylen getting hit with the powerful blast. The Time Racer tried to withstand the attack, but it was too much. He was finally forced backwards, his Keyblade wrenched free of his grip. A scream of pain and anger filled the empty air.

…And Angel and Shadow, the two who had never left his side during his long journey…the one that…would soon be at an end…

As the light faded, it revealed Roxas, wings, armor, and Keyblade slowly fading away. Across from him lay Zylen, breathing heavily as he lay on the ground. Roxas watched him a few moments, panting, then turned his gaze to where the dark man's Keyblade had fallen. Slowly, he strode forward, reaching down to pick it up. He then walked towards Zylen, and hovered above him. As he glared down, Zylen turned his gaze upwards. "Well? You've beaten me; what will you do now?" the dark man panted. Even in defeat, his eyes were still proud.

Roxas recalled everything this man had done, and his hand tightened on the hilt of the blade. "You don't deserve to live."

He snorted. "Then get on with it." He looked away.

The Nobody lifted the Keyblade, as if to bring it down on the man. Then he hesitated. His mind was filled with the image of what he'd seen in the last vision of the past Zylen had taken them too; of the horror and grief Zylen had shown when he realized he'd killed Sira. The realization that the man had never meant to. He hadn't always been bad; perhaps, should he live, he would change. Perhaps, like Lea, he also deserved a second chance.

He lowered the blade, turning away. "But it's not my job to decide…who lives and who dies." He glanced back at the dark man, seeing his head slowly lift, eyes widening, and added silently, _Please don't make me regret this._

The ground beneath them suddenly rocked. Roxas stumbled, trying to remain upright. "What's going on?" he cried in alarm.

"The portal…" A humorless laugh escape the lips of the man who lay behind him. "The portal's existence seems to be tearing things apart. Incomplete, it can't hold itself together. Or perhaps it's simply because it exists." Another humorless laugh. "Perhaps I should've included that in my plans."

"Angel saw it. That's why he tried to stop you."

"…I know." The world shook once more. Roxas gritted his teeth, wondering what there was he could do.

Then, before his eyes, appeared the answer. Slowly, light and darkness began to etch out the shape of a keyhole. His eyes slowly widened. "How did…?" Then his eyes closed halfway. He slowly slipped his free hand into his pocket, fingering Xion's seashell and remembering the paper he'd found, with the odd words etched onto it. He was finally beginning to understand what they meant. "'The gate can only be closed be entering and becoming the sacrifice…'" he murmured. "I get it now." He looked to the Keyblade in his hand, then to the keyhole. He lifted his hand. The Keyblade, of its own accord, pulled forward until it sank into the keyhole like a true key.

Suddenly pain was lancing along Roxas's body. But, above that, he could feel Shadow and Angel's presence, hovering just outside the portal, and realized the keyhole he'd just locked had been the catalyst for another to appear. He knew what he had to do.

**Shadow **shifted nervously. She and Angel had inspected every area of the portal, but had found no clue as to why it had closed, or any way to open it again. Angel's guess was that it was incomplete, and that it would remain that way, since Kingdom Hearts no longer had a way to transfer its energy to it.

"What do you think's happened to them?" Shadow asked.

Angel looked just as apprehensive as her. "I don't know."

Suddenly, the world seemed to shake. Shadow yelped with surprise, exclaiming, "What's happening?"

"It has to be the portal!" Angel cried in alarm. Both sets of eyes turned to look at the circular item before them. "It's incompletion must be causing it to collapse!"

"And…what does that mean?"

"Nothing good."

Suddenly, a cry of pain rent the air. Both sets of eyes widened, and they cried in unison, "Roxas!"

Space rippled before them, convulsing before settling into a familiar shape. "A keyhole?" Shadow asked in surprise.

"Shadow! Angel!"

Both started at the sound of Roxas's voice, which echoed oddly around them. "We're here!" Angel called back.

"I need you two…to use your Keyblades." His voice was taunt with pain. "Close the Keyhole!"

"What?" Shadow exclaimed, eyes growing wide.

"If you do that, you'll be trapped between times!" Angel called back.

"It doesn't matter," Roxas responded.

"It does to us!" Shadow cried. "You're our friend, Roxas! We can't…just leave you there." Her voice shook.

"We…we won't do it," Angel added. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't. Not this time." Roxas's voice was filled with sadness and pain, but also acceptance. "This is what was meant to happen from the beginning." He was forced to stop as the two heard him groan with pain. When he spoke again, he said, "Please. This is so much more…than just my life. I'm a Nobody; I was always meant to fade away. I need you guys to do this…please."

Tears welled up in Shadow's eyes. "We'll never forget you, Roxas."

"We promise," whispered Angel.

Together, they summoned their Keyblades and lifted them to point at the keyhole. Light flared at the tips of their weapons, going into the keyhole. Around them, they heard Roxas's voice, and could almost see him smiling a goodbye. "I'll never forget you guys, either. Maybe we'll see each other again…someday."

Tears were streaming down Shadow's face, and she tried to choke back the sobs. Angel, shaking, gripped her hand in his free one, the act as much a comfort to him as it was to her.

There was a click.

The world stopped shaking.

Nothing left to do now but get Sora, Riku, and Kairi home.

**Roxas **felt the presence of his friends fade. He hoped they'd heard…his final words. Though pain filled his body, a smile graced his face. He knew he didn't have long left, but…his friends would be safe. That was all that mattered.

He felt someone push him aside. His eyes flicked open as he lost his grip on the Keyblade and fell away, eyes widening in surprise. "Zylen?" he exclaimed in shock.

The leader of the Time Racers was now gripping the Keyblade Roxas once had, the pain that had been going through the body of the Nobody now going through his. "This is _my _Keyblade, remember, Nobody?"

If it weren't for the look in his eyes, he would have thought the Time Racer would remove the Keyblade. "Zylen, why?" he asked, completely caught off guard.

Zylen smiled grimly. "I've done a lot of bad things," he said quietly, convulsing as pain ran through his body, "but even so, you still showed me mercy." He closed his eyes. "If one of us deserves to survive, it's you."

The final words on that small piece of paper ran through his mind: 'The noble only saved by the hands of time.' This was it, then. The final part of the prophecy had been fulfilled.

Zylen's back suddenly arched, his eyes widening and his mouth gaping in a soundless scream. Then his eyes narrowed, taking on an almost blissful look. "Sira…I hope you can forgive me." Then light flared around them from the keyhole, engulfing the two completely.

_**Is **__someone calling my name?_ Slowly, Roxas blinked his eyes open. He found himself floating in a vast space of white. He blinked blurry blue orbs, looking around the expanse.

"Roxas."

The Nobody trained his eyes before him. There stood the two figures that had guided him his entire journey; the journey that had finally reached its end. "Xion. Ventus."

Xion gave him a small smile, and Ven nodded approvingly. "You did a good job, Roxas," the armored Keyblader told him.

"Thank you." He looked around him once more. "Is this…where Nobodies go when they fade away?"

"Oh, no, you aren't getting out of this that easily," Ven said, amusement filling his voice. Roxas blinked in surprise, turning his wandering gaze back to the duo.

Xion nodded, the smile never faltering. "You weren't destroyed, Roxas. Zylen taking hold of the Keyblade was able to save you."

"So, then…" he paused, then simply finished with, "now what?"

"Well, now you've Awakened," Ven replied, grinning. "But there's still one half left to go."

"You must guide Sora," Xion added, "as we guided you. You are what links him to us; you are the only way he can ever fully Awaken."

"That's why you needed to Awaken first. Otherwise, Sora never could." Ven hesitated, then added, "He probably won't remember anything about this because of Domian's magic, so…just act surprised."

"And remember that, though you can guide him, he must Awaken on his own."

Roxas nodded. "Right. Thanks, guys. For everything."

He saw the forms of his two friends and guides fade away. In their place, the ghostly form of Gillick slowly appeared. "Thank you, for helping me."

Of course.

Roxas looked down briefly, then lifted his head and asked, "So…is Zylen…?"

…I don't know. He may be dead, or he may simply be trapped between times, as I am. Either way, you probably won't be seeing him very soon. Lea, however, you will most likely meet again.

"Lea?" Roxas asked in surprise. He saw Gillick's ghostly head nod.

After he and Axel faded, they combined once more. It looks like…they'll both be getting a second chance.

"And what about you?"

Me? Well, I don't know much about what's happening in the past, present, or future, but I do know it's not my time to be saved. And…it's time for you to go back…to where you belong.

Gillick's form began to fade, and light began to flare around him once more. In the distance, he could just see a familiar figure. "Namine?"

**The **Gummi ship flew towards Destiny Islands, carrying its five passengers with it. Shadow and Angel wore identical expressions that reflected the aching holes in their hearts. It already felt emptier without Roxas there with them.

"Will they remember any of this?" Shadow murmured, looking at the still unconscious forms of Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

"Probably not, because of Domian's magic," Angel responded quietly.

"And…what about Roxas?"

He wanted to lie; he wanted to tell her that he of course he was alright, that he'd remember them, that they'd see him again. But he knew he couldn't; not to her, not again. "I don't know."

He heard her sigh quietly behind him. "So, what now?"

He knew she meant after they took the three Keybladers home. "We're Keybladers now; obviously, we have some role to play in the events that unfold."

There was a pause before Shadow said hesitantly, "Maybe…we could watch over these guys as they travel the worlds. You know, like Guardian Angels? For Roxas's sake."

He blinked in surprise. Then, a small, sad smile crossed his lips. He turned to look at her, eyes filled with the same pain and affection he saw in hers. "That sounds like a great idea."

**He **stirred, deep inside Sora's heart. The stained glass floor beneath him was the same as always. The connection to the Keyblader's heart was familiar. The presences of Xion, Ven, and even Vanitas, now that he knew they were there, brushed against him, reminding him that he was not alone inside the space.

What would happen to him now? He didn't know. Maybe he'd simply fade away. That's what Nobodies did, after all. It didn't matter so much to him anymore, though. Because, even if he faded away, he'd never forget. Memories of all he'd gone through, and of all the friends he'd made, would live on. Heart or no heart.

After all, some things not even time can destroy.

* * *

_That's it, then. This is the end. Let the credits roll._

_So. After about a year and five months of writing this, it's over. 496 pages. That's definitely the longest thing I've ever written._

_Thank you for sticking with me this long. You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you to everyone who favorited and/or alerted this story, and even to those who didn't, but read it anyways. And a really BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed. So, thank you (be prepared, long list of names): The Genius Mage Divine Wolf, Kingdom hearts birth by sleep, Ledi, Horizon's Knight, Sora Tayuya, caitlinkeitorin, Saint Joan of the Roses, Seeker-Of-The-Heart, TaylorTyper, Beth, Mirai M. Mieux, a few anonymous reviewers, Princess of Rose, DaniPotterCedric'sGirl, Rainstorm-Mosspath, rain, Clarilune, Yume Ninja, CatchingForRain, talkstoangels77, YAJJ, Danni Lea, Flightfoot, surxi25, Giulia95, Confizzledworld, Roxas 133, Blah…, a reader of KH and SH fanfics, Sunny Lighter, blackhawk11, Yolen Yui, Korstine, Flara, Keyformer, Sloganlogan, Chariste, SkyWarrior2, PhantomGirl12, Graphicsnerd, kingdomdisney, Jaicer, kelseyluv2read16, theGrimSleeper, Taeniaea, KanjiKitsune, NumberXIII, The Original Evil GRRL, ozsanlol, NexarkXIII, Aereyia Hikari, raia14, Kamen Rider Ebon, Arcia1612, thelionheartedgirl, Kamen Rider Kurai, Silverking32, The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika, WinterTurndra, Aquamirandallen1, Axel'sChakrams8, Panda-Hiroko, roxas key6, Tears Parallel, TheEspadaSisters, BookGal26, Mata Nui, BeautifulShadowsKeybearer1317, Key2DestNE, SisterOfScarletDevil, jellybeanmania, LilWitching, KeybladeMaster97, Destiny's Call, and Librax15 for reviewing during the story. …I'm insane for just doing that, but I don't care. I appreciated all the reviews I got; they motivated me to keep writing this._

_It's going to feel very strange not writing a chapter of _Guardian Twin _every week. I do plan, however, to have my Keyblade War story up in about 2-3 weeks._

_So, then, I'll ask it once more: review?_


	76. ANNOUNCEMENT: Sequel

So. I'm sure you can guess where this is going, considering the title I put this under, but I'll say it anyways. Now that the release date of _Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance_ has been announced, I can make an announcement of my own:

_Guardian Twin _will have a sequel.

Yep. I'd been debating about something for a while, but didn't want to do something with the original main character, Roxas (since he's a part of Sora again, and all). And then I thought: what about Lea? Or Shadow and Angel? From there I came up with two sequel ideas: one about Lea's journey for redemption until he makes it back into the main story of the Kingdom Hearts series, and one about how Shadow and Angel help out the gang where no one can see (with a hidden story of their own to complete).

The second one I'm still not sure about doing, and even if I do decide to, it won't be until a few more future Kingdom Hearts games come out. The first, however, I'd finally decided on after seeing the 3D trailer (the one with Lea in it), and decided to wait until the release date for the game was announced before I announced the sequel.

Unfortunately, the release date in Japan isn't until March 29...meaning there's still somewhat of a wait before the sequel comes out.

The story, _Phoenix Wings_, I plan on putting up on on **April 14**, two weeks after 3D's released in Japan, for two specific reasons:

1. I'll probably still be working on _Before the Beginning_, and will definitely still be working on _Time Thief_, at that time. Working on a new story does not mean I'll neglect the old ones. (NOTE: For those who don't know, _Before the Beginning _is a Keyblade War fanfic I've been working on, and _Time Thief _is an original story about a time-stealing dragon over on .)

2. I want to have some time to watch the cut scenes from 3D before I begin writing, so I know how to fit the story into canon as best as I can.

Is it ridiculous to be letting you know about this this far ahead of time? Possibly. But I did say I'd announce it right after 3D's release date was announced…

Anywho, there's a method to my madness. I want to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think about Lea being the main character? Are you interested in the second sequel? Is there anything you really, _really _want to see in _Phoenix Wings_? (Can't guarantee it'll be in there, but I'll consider any suggestions given.) Or are you just really excited about 3D. (I am, by the way.)

Anywho, if you think of anything you want to say or ask, leave a review or PM me. If not, then…you can take one of those imaginary internet cookies everybody keeps handing out.

Until the next story.


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